I was reading an article about an African pygmy the other day.
The small stature man, a member of the Bayaka peoples, lived in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo.
I was reading an article about an African pygmy the other day. The small stature man, a member of the Bayaka peoples, lived in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The story was written by a field biologist who had come to know the native as a man of integrity, strength, a go-to man for resources of every need, and a leader in his community. Beyond the initial description of his pygmy status, the author never mentioned his size again, but honored his friend during a description of their 20-year relationship in the Ituri Forest.
I know a similar young man living in South County and his stature is within pygmy range.
My son is 13 and in the eighth grade. At a recent physical for Boy Scout camp, the pediatrician mentioned that we might want to consider hormone treatments for increasing his height. Now, I come from a long line of Irish little people (you can’t tell from my picture, but I’m only 5’3″) and I found the prejudice of the doctor offensive.
But it’s not just the doctor who has a problem with short children, as I reflected on it later; it is our whole society! Growth hormones were originally developed for patients with true hormonal deficiencies, but now the use of genetically engineered hormones has been approved by the FDA for “cosmetic use.” The cost is far more than a set of orthodontic braces ($10,000 to $20,000 a year) and the children are subjected to six injections a week for years. I shudder at the thought of this type of treatment being auctioned off at a school fundraiser.
Is it a disability to be short? I have found more advantages – like a big smile from the person sitting behind me in the movie theater or actually being comfortable in coach class seating on the airliners – than disadvantages. My son at first eagerly wanted us to consider the hormone treatment but realized his brain would remain the same clever organ it always has been – and he’s still the fastest runner on his cross-country team. As his mother, I know he will have to face some prejudice in the world, but his attitude of big thoughts will be the overriding factor in his success in life.
Come here, readers, and bend down so I can whisper something in your ear: “I’m short by American standards; my children are short by those same standards so get over it. We’re doing fine. Next time you tease a short person, watch out. He may be thinking up the solutions to the world’s problems!”
Ciao for now.
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