Little people — big problems!
Life hasn’t always been a walk in the park for Zach Roloff when it comes to his health. Being that the 27-year-old new dad was born with achondroplasia — the most common form of dwarfism, which both Zach and his newborn son have — he has experienced quite a few obstacles in his life.
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When it was revealed that his son would possibly have the same condition as Zach, the Little People, Big World star was the first to admit that he was well aware of the risks that come with the disability — though he reassured his wife, Tori, that he was prepared for anything that was thrown at him.
“I had to have leg straightening, so I had two casts on. Then I had to go back into surgery sophomore year of high school, they added screws to the leg,” he explained to his wife. “So I’m not going to say, ‘Oh yeah, man, I wish my kid had dwarfism. All those struggles he’s going to go through? Heck yeah! Can’t wait!’ But I’m also not going to say, ‘I really hope [he’s] average-height.’ Average-height [people] have issues, too.”
Now that Tori and Zach have confirmed that baby Jackson is in fact a little person, Zach has made it clear he’s ready for anything life may throw his way.
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“You have to encourage a dwarf child a little more because it will take them five steps to do what others can do in two,” Zach recently explained. “But I knew, dwarf or not, I was going to parent my child with the mentality that not everyone gets a trophy. You have to earn it.”
Unfortunately, many health issues often come along with being a dwarf — so much so that Zach has joked that surgery is “routine” for his family.
Familiarize yourself with Zach’s many health struggles by scrolling through the gallery below.
