Dwarfism Awareness Month - Brittany's Story

This year for Dwarfism Awareness month I want to share the experiences of others with dwarfism who have lengthened, are lengthening, or plan on it. Limb lengthening has made such a difference in our lives. We all have completely different experiences with it since the technique has changed (and still is) so much over the years. We all have a story to tell and I hope this can help anyone who has dwarfism, has a child with dwarfism, or knows someone with dwarfism who is interested and wants to know more about it because KNOWLEDGE IS POWER. 

Brittany is 30 years old and has the most common form of dwarfism, achondroplasia. She was 12 years old when she had her first limb lengthening surgery at Kernan Hospital (later Sinai Hospital) in Baltimore, MD. She was 4’2” and gained a total 12 inches and is now 5’2.” She says she did it, “so that I could live as average of a life possible.”

For her, the hardest part physically was not being able to walk during treatment and the pain. Emotionally, the hardest part was convincing herself through the surgeries and the pain that she made the right choice to get it done. Lengthening has made living her life much easier and she does not need anything specially equipped for her. She encourages others to be BRAVE and have the procedures if they are given the opportunity too.

Brittany now has a daughter with achondroplasia and although she is not at the age yet of having the procedures done, she is going to encourage her.

She says she would do it all over again in a heartbeat.