Achondroplasia (Dwarfism) Support Group
Achondroplasia is a type of genetic disorder that is a common cause of dwarfism. Only one copy of the gene needs to be present for the disorder to occur. People with achondroplasia have one normal copy of the fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 gene and one mutant copy. Discuss everything from relationships to lifestyle challenges.
my daughter is now 5 months and is waiting to see a geneticist about her achondroplasia, none of the doctors have actually sat us down and asked what our worries are or explained the condition and so we had to go searching online. we found a website which told us that children that get the gene from both parents dont live past a few months and so as you can imagine i cant sleep or eat with panicking for her all the time, i love my daughter to pieces and to me she is perfect, my 'petite princess' i call her, but im so terrified and no one at the hospitals will talk to me so please cane someone put my mind at ease, my beautifull princess needs her mummy to stop stressing so much
I myself have achondroplasia, and both of my parents are of average height. My parents had never seen a little person when I was born, and had all kinds of worries when they found out about the achondroplasia. I am now 24 years old, and about to get my second bachelor's degree. In a year I hope to have a teaching position, and live a successful life!
There are some complications that do sometimes go along with achondroplasia that your geneticist can tell you about, but your daughter should be just fine. After all, she's got a mother that loves her more than anything!
Don't stress. She's going to be fine. I highly recommend getting involved with Little People of America. Both for her, and for you. You can find local and regional groups, and they are very supportive to families. www.lpaonline.org is their website.