First let me tell you i watch your show everyday. You have so many great topics. Thank you for all you do. Now about " Little People"..People can be cruel and not even knowing they were,, course children are the worst. My sister who is a year older than me was born a Dwarf. But she never let that get in her way of doing what she was wanting to do.. I can not remember to many times when she called on me or my brothers to help her with anything. She never got on a self pitty kick...Nothing was changed in the house because of her size.When she got old enough to drive and her car needed oil etc..she would climb up on the bumber and then sat under the hood with her legs over the radiatorshe could change her own spark plugs etc..Our dad had a tv repair shop and also installed car radio's.. The installing was my sister job.. she had no problem getting under the dash to hook it up. I think just about everyone has something in their lives that does not come easy for them..some of us have fears of things.. heights etc..And you have to ask yourself.. am i gonna let this get the best of me..or not..some people have handicaps they have to learn to over come..Little People do not have a problem with being short..it is the normal size people that can make " Little People" think there must be something wrong with them since they stare...Before someone stares or laughs at anyone with a handicap. they need to stop and think.. that might have been them...

Hello everyone! My husband and I are both average height and we a have 5 month old "little person". She is the best baby every and we could not be happier. She has a rare form of dwarfism called Spondyloepimetaphyseal Dysplasias (SEMD). I don't believe people should be able to choose to have something wrong with their baby. With forms of dwarfism they can have several medical concerns. And it's very hard to hear doctors say that your baby is not normal,(wants normal anyways) If anyone has heard of this rare form of dwarfism that our daughter has, it would be great to chat with you or get more information on this dysplasias. THANK YOU! Michele

I think it’s selfish to purposely select a genetic predisposition to what is viewed as a handicap to feel closer to the baby/child.

It’s hard being a child even under “normal” circumstances. As is true for parenting. As a parent we are to give our very best for our children regardless of any other factors. Frankly, I wouldn’t want any of my shortcomings to be passed on to my children. Pun intended.

I hope the best for everyone on the stage, especially that wonderful young lady.

The way you present your guests shows that you are a kind and mindful person. (Not a know it all, how refreashing.) Your guest in the gray suit today, Jan 31 07, is a wonderful representation of what good self esteem, good parenting and intelligence will do for anyone. I would trade with him anyday.

Dear Dr. Keith,
I have never e-mailed a talk show before, but after watching your show about little people, I just had to write! I can not belive that someone would choose to have their baby be "hearing impared". When I heard you say that, I started to cry! Why would someone choose to NOT let their child hear the birds sing, the rain fall, a dog bark, their name said, music, so on and so on! The Dr.(and I apologize for not remembering his name) that does these so called "designer babies" should have his license taken away!
To have a baby is a gift! No one should have the right to change what God,or Mother Nature,(what ever you believe in)has blessed you with!
Does that give you the right to have your child born blind, or with no hands, how far will these Dr.'s go?

Sincerely,
Jo from Ft. Branch IN>

Allen,
First off, I am a 45 year old little person and I can see we're you are coming. At the same time, no two little people's personalities are alike. How we as individual little people handle these remarks maybe seen as insulting, but whether we react in that fashion or not, stems from our own persona and how we were raised. I do find comments insulting to a degree, but it is also our job as little people to help educate the public. We can either reacte to these insults or ignore them. I was brought up to ignore them, but in the process have learned, that sometimes we need to step in and assertively explain to these people, that we are no different from an average sized person, just short! Take time to get to know us and you'll soon discover that out for yourself. Some of us are shy, outgoing, friendly, moody, grumpy, happy and the list goes on. We are no different from you guys in that respect. I hope this helps!

Midget is a medical term referring to an extremely short but normally-proportioned person, in contrast to dwarf which denotes disproportionate shortness. Modern terminology now designates the two descriptions by proportionate dwarfism vs. disproportionate dwarfism (such as achondroplasia). Proportionate dwarfism is often, but not always, the result of a hormonal deficiency (such as human growth hormone), and it may be treated medically. However, the word dwarf has generally replaced midget, even for proportionally short people, because midget is now often considered a derogatory term I

In my opinion this was an unfortunate decision in that some cases of dwarfism bony malformations can result in very serious medical conditions, leading to an untimely, protracted & painful demise. Not withstanding the moral & ethical issue of "designer babies", choosing to conceive a "midget", as opposed to having a "dwarf", is akin to choosing to conceive a child who has small ears, as opposed to a child who is deaf. One choice merely effects physical attributes, while the other has the potential for serious medical implications.

In order to address the very serious issue of denigration, I would suggest the choice of another term to refer to individuals whose height is below a designated point (which, by the way, should not be arbitrarily defined, but rather lie 3 standard deviations outside the norm) so that medical, & not social, distinctions can be made. It is regrettable that most synonyms for short or midget are also derogatory. The most appropriate terms I could find were diminutive & miniature. As such it should be incumbent on the medical community to create another appropriate medical term.

K. Fox, MD

Watching the show today regarding the choice of choosing a dwart child. This is a very strange idea to me.

I was told when I was 19 years old I would never have any children. After 13 years being married to a great man, we had a wonderful surprise.

During this time the doctor was insisting that I would have a down syndrom baby and that I should abort. After 20 years of being torn apart and heart break of not being able to have any children, I had this blessing that I never thought even possible. How could I abort this child.

The same goes for choosing what kind of child you are goind to have. That is in God's hands and he makes the choices for us. That was my response to the doctor, if that is the road God has chosen for me to travel, that is what I will travel. I would not choose to purposely have a child that has physical problems. That just seems a bit strange, because God has a way of taking care of things and making things work out the way he intends them.

The choice of what kind of child to have is extreme.

However, I can see the benefit in improving individuals health.

Thanks for having such a nice show.

I love "little people", especially the Roloff's on TLC. But growing up their was a "dwarf" that lived around the corner. A little boy, Jordan, that lived on my street was best friends with "Stevie". Now Stevie goes to the same college as I go to and we've become aquaintances. I really admire him. I even look up to him, it's true! I belive that God made them the way they are to teach us such varuable lessons. I will be forever greatful for knowing him.

Way to go Kim! (Nov. 28, 2006)
My children and four of my grandchildren are "Little People." Having raised my own, and being with my grandchildren these many years, I have had a small taste of what the stares and oogles and oggles are like. My daughter gets so frustrated. She cannot go anywhere without rude people staring at her. She is reserved and shy and does not want--nor try to get--the attention. Her father was a professional musician. (a "little person") The attention is fine on stage. It is fine knowing you have fans. But we could always tell the children who were not being raised with manners and respect for others; And the adults who had no better respect for themselves or anyone else than to dash back around the store-isle calling out, "Hey! Hey! Come here! Quick! Look at this!" We all had to suffer through this. And they still do. My son is a Supervisor where he works, now; and has learned to demand the respect he deserves. In public he has taken to wearing t-shirts saying rediculously funny things back to people who stare at him. He says, "Hey, if people are going to oggle, give 'em something to think about!" So he has his fun back at folks like Allen. My daughter just wishes she could be invisible and get her business done and get back home without feeling like a one-woman parade. My nine year old Grandson picked up on ogglers when he was seven. He said, "I know people stare at me because I am little. I don't want to be little but I am. I wish they would not stare at me, but they do, anyway." I am glad I raised my family to treat everyone with respect and not to make fun of anyone and to respect other people's space in public. Ya know, people like Allen should at least be polite enough to say "Hi, how are ya?" Blank stares and being talked-"about" instead of talked-"to" is Not fun! I know. My oldest is 35 now. Like so many have told me, "Ya know, when you get to know them, you forget they are not taller. They are Bigger than most." If people Want attention they can dress or act wild or have a public proffession. Just going to the store is NOT wanting attention. Please, folks like Allen, please stop making just- everyday-life more difficult for people who don't disappear into the background like some folks have the priveledge of doing at will. Ya know, it takes a lot more effort for "little people" to do Anything they do, than it does people without challenges. Just walking through the store, trying Not to be noticed, in A Lot of pain, already; is just frustrated more by people who feel they have some kind of right to point and stare and call out to others to come look. Hey, give someone a break today. O.K.? Thank you.

I was called "midget" until I was a freshman in highschool, when I grew 4-5" taller. When I was 16 I fell in love with a young man who was 4'2" tall. When we married we were blessed with two children who are both what society calls "little people." If others would see these people for all they are instead of the package they come in, the world would see what an asset and contribution they are to society--And they have to work many times harder than "average size" people to accomplish Anything. My grown children have always been so talented and so intelligent. When my son was a teen-ager his boss called him into the office to sign the papers so the store could receive honors for hiring a handicapped person. My son told the manager, "You hire someone who Is handicapped, then you can get your certificate." I raised my children to know we cannot help what size we are born, or what color, or nationality, etc, but we Can Help what we make out of our lives. My son is now Supervisor in the place he works, is married (to an "average" sized woman) and has two children, one of whom is a "little person." My daughter is getting her Batchlors Degree in Computer Program Engineering, and planning to go for her Masters. She just received a large government award for high grades/accomplishments in her studies. She is married (to an "average" sized man) with two "little" children. Some of the most difficult times for these kids are when Adults stare and call others to stare. My family is beautiful. Really, these are beautiful people inside and out--I would post pictures if I could, ;) Society should open up the media/tv/movies and accept they are "normal"--just not "average." Who wants to be average? (Actually, truth be told, they are "above average" in just about everything, I.Q., talent, personality, coping skills, And good looks! These kids Are absolutely beautiful; people say, "We're sorry, we don't stare because they are small, but because they are so Beautiful!) I can only hope they know how proud I am of them. Thank you, Dr. Keith for helping introduce society to intelligent, beautiful "little people."

I am the mother of an adult diastrophic dwarf. Suspecting that the producers of this show and Dr. Ablow were not informed or have much knowledge of the issues of dwarfism,Dr. Ablow failed to mention or perhaps understand that there are SO many types of dwarfism, including achondroplasia. This should have been part of the show because of the segment on limb lengthening. It was more or less stated that this surgery could be performed on all dwarfs. This is not true at all. It could have provided false hope to many people in the general population who may think that this surgery is a cure-all for all types of dwarfism. I and my family have been involved with the organization, Little People of America for over 30 years. We have to appreciate that there are many people with dwarfism or have a family member who is a little person, who have not had the opportunity to become educated on the ins and outs of the many types of dwarfism. There was NO mention of any support groups for dwarfism on this show. This should always be a part of any presentaion that deals with the medical side of dwarfism,i.e. limb lenghtening,etc. I enjoyed the show and the people who were on it. I just would have liked to have seen Dr. Ablow have more knowledge about dwarfism.

I have a little sister who is suffering from dwarfism. I see the struggles she goes through on a daily basis and it breaks my heart. She has 5 kids from 4 different men, they keep leaving her. I think they are intrigued by her size at first for sexual reasons but then leave after they knock her up. She's a tough little cookie though. She's raising them all on her own. I ask her how she does it and she says she has a big heart. I say "You Go Girl". And you go Dr. Keith for loving dwarfs. Your show is inspiring and after watching it, I get the feeling you have dated a dwarf in your day. Do a show on that!

I am a small person. I am only 4'10" tall and I know a little bit about what a small person goes through. I do get stared at, by children mostly. Adults just think I'm adorable, but some don't realize what type of attraction I bring. Almost everyone makes a comment about me being small and the jokes never stop. Thats o.k. I believe that it takes very special people to be short, and God choose the right individuals to do it.

I am guilty of falling in love with a little person. I am 5 11 and he was 4 6 i was a foot and a half foot taller than him. We dated for about a year and a half until other cercumstances split us up. I still think of him often and have great thoughts of him. He has since moved on and i as well but the hieght was never an issue for us. If you ever come to meeting a little person and get hung up on the size issue i can assure yoiu that it is only amind state for you and it is easy to overcome.

My husband and I tape Dr. Keith and watch it at night. We have NEVER been so impressed as we were with the wonderful "little" people on today's aired show, who truly inspiring people to look up to!! I hope you have more like them!! Thanks!!

Allen,
How many times have you gone to the mall and people just stared at you? I mean everyone? Or gone to the gas station and could not reach the pump? Or the ATM? That's a reality for LPs. I agree with you that natual curiosity is one thing, but blatant staring is ridiculous. So someone is short. What about a child who is missing a leg? Perhaps you are curious but a long ogle is rude. My son has dwarfism. He is 1. No one can tell since he is mildly affected, but they will as he gets older and he does not grow as fast. Guess what? I would not trade him for the world. He has the best personality I have ever seen on ababy and everywhre we go I am STOPPED, literally stopped to be told how cute he is. What I am grateful for is that he will touch so many people's lives and they can say, "The little person I know has the biggest heart of anyone I have ever known."
Besides, that old adage good things come in small packages has alawys rung true!
But to say you had better get used to it is pretty harsh. They did not dye their hair green andpierce their face to get noticed. They were born with a genetic condition. They are human. Their hearts beat, their legs walk, they feel emotions. They are people.

I,M A NORMAL SIZE WOMAN AND I HAD A DWARFT SON WHO IS 10 NOW. HE IS THE ONLY ONE OF MY KIDS WHO HAVE IT OUT OF 4. AND WE TREAT HIM JUST LIKE ANY OTHER PERSON BECAUSE WE DON,T WANT HIM TO THINK BECAUSE HE SHORT THAT HE DO THINGS JUST LIKE A NORMAL SIZE PERSON

My husband and I own a computer repair business and 3 months ago we started searching for another technician. Drew had sent us a resume some months before and I called him to see if he was still looking for a job. He was, so we set up an appointment to meet at a local restaurant.

While waiting for him to arrive, I never noticed his approach until he spoke to us. Now....and we still chuckle over this, I am 6 feet tall and Drew says that my surprise showed all over my face. I am sure it did!!

Once we sat down and started talking it became very obvious that Drew was an extremely capable technician and I quickly forgot that he was a little person. We talked about limitations that he may face and worked out some details but by the end of the interview we knew that we wanted to hire him.

Drew is still working for us and we have faced only a couple of situations where someone felt that size equaled competence. Those types of people are not the kind of customers we want so no great loss.

Drew is a proportional dwarf, which means that his torso, arms, legs and head are all in proportion. He stands 3'6".

We are proud not only to have him as an employee but also as a friend.

Thank you for a very informational show about a often misunderstood condition.

Regards,
Lorraine Naugler

I'm watching the episopde right now, and I've notived a consistentcy. They all seem to find the extra attention their little family members as insulting. It's not, least not all of it. People are naturally curious about things that are different, may that be a person's height, their hair, their body language, even their clothes. I don't think everyone who stares or points out a little person to someone they are with is being mean or hurtful. They are just naturally curious. If you are different, whether that be by choice or not, you had better get used to being noticed and not take offense to it. Least that's my opinion.