If you’ve ever seen TLC’s “Little Couple”, you’ll find out how much Jen can laugh. The series focuses on a small pair of Dr. Jennifer Arnold and Bill Klein and follows them in their lives, documenting such things as their wedding, the problems of their infertility and their very processes of adoption to give them their charming little ones, Will and Zoe. The show also follows them at work, hanging out at home and showing how they live, both with skeletal dysplasia and in a world that is built for tall people.
Skeletal dysplasia affects every 25,000 births and is a disorder in the development of bone and cartilage in the body. This means that the people affected by it have the arms and legs of normal size, but short torsos, which lead to the label dwarfism.
Dr. Jennifer Arnold is a determined woman. She never allowed her size to dissuade her from following her dreams. She is originally from Florida and studied at the University of Miami to study biology and psychology. After that, she went to John Hopkins to earn her MD, and then proceeded to the pediatric residence at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, and also received a Master of Science degree in medical education. Today she lives in Texas and is a neonatologist at the Baylor College of Medicine, and is also the director of the Center for Simulation at a Hospital of Texas Children.
Because of her size and health, getting pregnant can be a dangerous prospect, but Jennifer Arnold became pregnant in 2013 with what turned out to be an unsustainable pregnancy. After the surgical procedure, she was recognized in good health and traveled to India to pick up and formalize the adoption of her second child Zoe. While on the plane, Arnold fell ill and had to return home immediately, where she was diagnosed with choriocarcinoma, which is a trophoblastic cancer, usually the placenta.
After a courageous battle against her cancer, most of which was documented in their reality series, in 2014 she was considered cancer.
Dr. Arnold every week shows the world that this dwarf does not define it. She is a wife, mother, doctor, cancer, survivor, and yes, she is a small person with a positive and infectious outlook on life. It is also an excellent role model for anyone who believes that their disability will not allow them to achieve their dreams. Think bigger, watch the prize, and you can do anything!
