Little, but not less: one Hongkonger’s journey growing up with dwarfism

Difficulty: Summiteer (Level 3)

Novah Macalligan is used to dealing with inconveniences, from struggling to reach things that are high up or being too short for the sinks in public restrooms.

Novah, now six years old, was born with cartilage hair hypoplasia, a form of dwarfism that leaves her with a weakened immune system, fine, thin hair, and a proportionally small body.

“We weren’t sure if she was going to survive, so I had a really difficult pregnancy,” said her mother, Cruzanne, an average-height person. “[Then Novah] came out kicking and screaming, and everything was fantastic.”

Cruzanne has always been honest with Novah about her condition, teaching her daughter about self-love and self advocacy. For Novah’s first day of school, her family helped her make a video explaining her condition.

“I never told anyone [about my dwarfism]. Then I practised and practised, and I made a big video,” Novah explained. “Then we all watched it on the first day of school.”

Standing up for herself

While much of Novah’s schooling has been positive, she still hears mean comments and even experiences bullying. She hates people “putting things out of my reach [and] calling me a baby”.

Novah has learned to stand up for herself in these situations. When someone calls her a baby, she says, “I am not a baby. [I’m smaller than average] because I have dwarfism, which means I grow differently.”

Thankfully, in Novah’s experience, most comments from strangers are not mean. Rather, people just don’t understand that she is older than she looks.

Excitement for the future

Novah has learned to view her condition with positivity and pride, thanks to the support of her family and a charitable organisation called Little People of Hong Kong (LPHK).

The group started in 2014 and is currently celebrating its tenth anniversary.

LPHK fights for the rights of little people, educates the public, and supports people with dwarfism. The group explains how to make the city more accessible for people with dwarfism by adding things like ramps and stools to public places.

LPHK organises meet-ups and fundraising activities. Right now, it is celebrating Dwarfism Awareness Month.

Going forward, Novah is excited about her future. She was also eager to share advice for other youngsters struggling with similar things.

“Even though you are different, it doesn’t mean you can’t do [the same things],” Novah said. “Everyone is special in unique ways.”

Use the puzzle below to test your knowledge of the vocabulary words in the story.

Sample answers

• Stop and think: Novah and her family made a video for her class to explain cartilage hair hypoplasia. She also calmly explains why she is short when people ask or say mean things.

• Think about it: LPHK raises funds and holds events for little people to meet one another. It also looks to educate the public about dwarfism and how to make the city more accessible.

• Read and answer: As someone with cartilage hair hypoplasia, Novah has fine, thin hair and a small body, where all her limbs are proportional to her torso. She also has a weakened immune system. Before her birth, doctors told Novah’s mother that she might not live.