Imagine living in a world where a jungle gym seems like a skyscraper to you. Imagine a life where your barely 1 foot teddy bear is larger than you. Imagine waking up every morning and realizing that you’re not going to grow any taller than 2 feet. This is the reality Charlotte Garside will have to face for the rest of her life.

 

Weighing in at less than 2 pounds when she was born, Charlotte has a rare form of Primordial Dwarfism condition. Primordial Dwarfism is a condition that limits the natural growth of a person; it causes 2 year olds to look like new-born babies and is said to also stunt mental growth as well. Doctors predicted that Charlotte wouldn’t live past her first birthday. Last time Charlotte was in the news, she was five years old and the heart of her family.

Occasionally, Charlotte and her family go to conventions to meet with other children who have the same condition. These conventions provide support for every member of the family; Charlotte can be among her peers, her siblings can talk to other children about the hardships of living with a Primordial Dwarfism sibling and her parents can mingle with other parents who have kids with Primordial Dwarfism.

 

Besides being shorter than a baseball bat, Charlotte is a ball of joy as she strolls through life with a carefree spirit. I can’t help but wonder what it will be like when she enters high school or college. Would she be bullied? Would she have the ability to keep up with her classes? Would she be able to marry easily? Would her kids get her condition too? I can’t imagine having to live a life like that.

 

Regardless, I still find Charlotte to be immensely intriguing and obviously unique. She’s one in a lifetime and I hope that she has a very bright future ahead of her.

 

This piece was a collaboration between myself and Chantal Thomas over at The Sketch Paper Project. Check out her blog for some more awesome artwork!