Malta’s youngest triathlete, Jake Vella, was rushed to hospital yesterday evening. The ROHHAD Association took to Facebook to appeal for prayers for the young champ, with hundreds of comments flooding in sending good thoughts to Jake and his family.

Jake suffers from ROHHAD NET, one of the rarest conditions known to man, which he shares with only about 75 people. Due to this condition, Jake keeps gaining weight no matter how much he exercises or eats right.

Even though Jake leads one of the healthiest and most active lives ever (including running marathons), his condition will only deteriorate as he gets older.

Stay strong, kid!