Here is what people are saying about the Understanding Dwarfism Program:
Understand Dwarfism has made such an impact in our lives and our community’s lives. Their children’s book “Not too Big, Not too Small: just right for me” has been a vital tool used to help educate students at my kids’ elementary school. The book was first read to my oldest’s kindergarten class, it has since evolved to me coming in each year and reading it to almost all the classes in the school, even my daughter’s preschool. I then allow students to ask any questions they want. It has been such a positive learning experience. The students all know who my kids are and don’t look at them any different. They see them by their names and that they are brothers who look like twins (but aren’t), and just happen to be short. – Natalie
I came across the Understand Dwarfism program shortly after my son was born, he will be 9 in October. Your website and Facebook page stood out to me more than any I had come across at that time and still does to this day. The information, perspectives, terminology and support really covered everything we had been looking for. Despite being so busy with your own campaign, you picked up the phone to talk to me one day after I shared with you something similar we had planned where we lived. Your experience really inspired and motivated me to drive our awareness program Finley’s Footsteps on the Isle of Man forward. – Kristy
Before I gave birth to my daughter Addison I had never met someone with Dwarfism. In all honesty, I was extremely naive and had been taught the opposite of the truth. One look into my daughter’s eyes at birth and I knew we were a team and we needed each other. Within her first week I learned as much as I could about her diagnosis of Metatropic Dysplasia. There was one defining moment that still helps us today. This moment was when I found the Understanding Dwarfism website. I quickly ordered a few hundred Understanding Dwarfism cards and started handing them out when people looked confused or curious about Addison. It was so empowering to know I didn’t have to be scared of these reactions now that I had a quick educational tool to strike up a meaningful conversation. It’s been nine years and I still get excited when it’s time to share a card. Thank you to everyone’s who makes this organization strong! - Carrie
The Understanding Dwarfism Program to our family has been instrumental in so many ways. When our now three year old son, Theodore, was first diagnosed at birth I came across the UD website in my attempt to research this unknown condition. As a new mom I found this website as a safe place. It gave me the background of Dwarfism without overwhelming me like the other medical websites did when I searched on Dwarfism. The children’s book is a wonderful tool that we hand out to all of Teddy’s cousins, playmates and teachers. It provides such a wonderful message on teaching kids to accept all differences. It has also been so great and easy to communicate with James during my recent fundraising attempts to raise money to purchase additional books for our St. Louis community. We cannot “cure” dwarfism, but we can help spread the awareness which in my opinion is as good as finding a cure.- Erin
