Tori and Zach Roloff wondered what life would be like if they welcomed a child of average height, before their third child was born with form of dwarfism.
In an exclusive clip from Tuesday's episode of "Little People, Big World" shared with People Magazine, the reality TV stars discussed the possibility before he was born that their third child could be of average height.
The couple welcomed Josiah Luke to the world in April. Josiah Luke joined big brother Jackson Kyle, 5, and big sister Lilah Ray, 2.
“We had a doctor’s appointment today, ultrasound, checking on baby. It was kinda fun because I got to show both kids the ultrasound pictures,” Tori says in the clip, pulling up photos on her phone to show Jackson and Lilah. At the time the episode was filmed, Tori had was still pregnant with Luke.
“All the measurements are average for the weeks, so not a dwarf,” Zach chimes in from across the room.
“I’m getting average height vibes. It’s right on track. All the long bones are on track," Tori adds. She went on to say that she thinks “it would be fun to have an average height baby.”
Zach said having a child of average height would be "a different experience" that "changes the dynamic a little bit."
"I would imagine having all dwarf siblings just kinda like, ‘Hey we’re a pack and that’s the outside world,'" said Zach, who has a form of dwarfism and has three siblings of average height "When you have an average height sibling, (you think) 'I wish I was more like my sibling.' It changes the dynamic a little bit.”
Tori is average height. Zach has achondroplasia, the most common form of dwarfism, as do the couple's first two children, Jackson and Lilah.
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Recently, Tori and Zach shared that Josiah was also born with the same condition.
"He’s Josiah. He has achondroplasia, but he’s not, like, Josiah the achondroplasia,” Zach, 32, told Us Weekly. Zach’s parents also have achondroplasia, while Zach’s three siblings do not. "It's not his identity."
“Just like I’m Tori, I have brown hair,” Tori added. “I’m not a brunette. That’s not how I would classify myself.”
Achondroplasia is a genetic condition that impacts the fibroblast growth factor receptor, leading to shorter bones, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. The average adult height in people with achondroplasia is between 42 and 56 inches.
“We have so many resources and there’s a lot of parents out there who don’t have the same resources and don’t have the same confidence in everything that Zach and I do,” Tori told US Weekly.
“We will definitely be advocates for people with dwarfism because of our kids,” Zach added.
The clip not first time the pair have discussed the possibility of having a child of average height. In an episode that aired earlier this month, Tori shared that there was a “50/50 chance this child will have dwarfism.”
“I think it would be kind of interesting just to have one average height kid just to know what that feels like,” she said. “But I really don’t care either way.”
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