TRIBUTES have poured in for Hayley Okines, who suffered from a genetic condition and died in hospital on Thursday.

The teenager from Bexhill lived with the rare aging disease progeria but had recently been in hospital with pneumonia.

Despite her prognosis, Hayley, 17, battled on well beyond doctors’ estimations and published her autobiography, Old Before my Time, aged 14.

She had pneumonia on both lungs and sadly passed away in mother Kerry’s arms, who announced on Facebook: “My baby girl has gone somewhere better.”

Speaking to The Argus, Kerry said: “She put up a good fight. She was in hospital with pneumonia but then her white blood cells wouldn’t repair and her bone marrow wasn’t doing what it should have.

“I left to come home and got a call saying I needed to go back. She waited for me to return and I told her to go and be in peace, and she died shortly afterwards.

“She was fiery, witty, stubborn, stroppy – a typical teenager. She achieved so much in her life. She was the reason I got up in the morning and was my shining little star.”

Hayley and her family had hope of beating the incurable disease in 2009 when she took part in a pioneering US drugs trial.

The treatment gave her a new lease of life but she was ultimately unable to conquer the disease, of which there are only 50 known cases in the world.

However, Hayley remained defiant about her condition, once declaring: “I don’t think about dying and just enjoy life.

“In many ways I feel I’ve been lucky. Because of this I’ve met more people and done more than many do in a lifetime.”

Hayley’s story, which featured in a TV documentary, tugged on the heartstrings of thousands of people.

Her incredible tenacity and fight earned her an abundance of supporters, many of whom have been out in their droves with tribute messages since the news of her death.

Writing on Facebook, Jennifer Archer said: “So sad to hear this news this morning. Have followed Hayley’s story since she was tiny.

“She had such a bright, loving and funny personality. Rest in peace sweet angel and lots of love to your family.”

Bonnydale Pierre said: “Your daughter was amazing! I followed her story and am deeply saddened by her passing.

“You and your husband are also amazing parents to have truly given Hayley a lifetime of fond memories and despite having progeria she was a normal teenager beautiful inside and out.

“May those memories now give you and your family strength and courage as you mourn your loss of such an inspirational and wonderful little lady. RIP Hayley, You’ve truly touched the world in such a big way.”

To donate to Hayley’s fund visit http://hayleyspage.com

How Hayley became an ambassador for the world’s 50 progeria sufferers

Hayley was born in 1997 to besotted parents Kerry and Mark. At 13 months, she still wore clothes for a three-month-old and was referred to a specialist by the family doctor.

She endured six months of tests which all failed to find a cause, until a biopsy showed she had a concerning lack of elasticity. Experts soon confirmed a diagnosis of progeria – a condition that would leave little Hayley with the body of a 104-year-old.

She won the hearts of millions when she featured in TV documentaries in Europe and the US and spent the rest of her years living out her dreams thanks to generous well-wishers – including a trip to Disneyland in California, swimming with dolphins and meeting the likes of Justin Bieber and Prince Charles.

In 2007 the family were offered the chance to take part in new pioneering treatment that could have halted, and even reversed, the symptoms of progeria. It had never been used on children before – only mice – but the family went ahead anyway in a bid to give Hayley the opportunity to live longer.

She unfortunately lost her battle with the disease this week but exceeded doctors’ expectations by living well beyond her years.

Such was her popularity, #RIPHayleyOkines was one of the most popular trends on Twitter yesterday after news of her death touched her thousands of supporters.