An old woman before she even starts school

PICTURES showed an elderly woman as Mark and Kerry told of worries about heart attacks and arthritis setting in. They weren't talking about their grandmother, but four-year-old daughter Hayley, one of only 40 people in the world diagnosed with the rare ageing disease progeria.

This causes her to age eight times faster than the children of her own age with whom she plays. She's been without hair for half her life and complains about joint pains.

By the time her friends start secondary school, her body will be equivalent to that of a 90-year-old. If, it must regrettably be added, she lives that long. The average age to which progeria sufferers live is 13. Some die as young as six or seven, other survive to their late teens.

It would take a very stony heart not have been moved by The Child Who's Older Than Her Mother, in the Extraordinary People series. Parents Mark and Kerry know there is no cure. They can only make her short life as normal and as happy as possible. She has a daily regime of medicines - many normally found in the bathroom cabinet of pensioners - and hydrotherapy pool sessions to make the ageing process as painless as possible.

The film followed Hayley and her dad on their annual trip to Florida to meet other progeria sufferers and their families. Parents share their experience of new treatments, in the knowledge that their children may not enjoy the following year's Sunshine Reunion. "The last day before you go home, you say goodbye to everyone, not knowing who's going to be there next year," said Mark.

In contrast to Hayley's heart-breaking situation, The Woman Who Dives The Deepest seemed trivial as cameras followed free diver Tanya Streeter successful attempt to break the world record by descending 160m below sea level on a single breath.

But it was said she was "flirting with death" by attempting the feat, brought home by the final caption stating that six weeks later her rival tried to break the record - and died in the attempt.