Falling In Love
Finally, Hannah found a loving home thanks to Jackie and Larry Kritzeck. Maybe life was going to be so hard after all, but Hannah eventually would do something that surprised her parents.
Falling In Love
Love At First Sight
When Jackie and Larry laid eyes on Hannah, they knew they could give her a happy home. They loved her from the moment they met, and despite the challenges, the parents were sure this was right for everyone. All the little girl needed was a loving home, and that’s what Jackie and Larry were offering.
Love At First Sight
Tough Times Ahead
Jackie and Larry knew that it wasn’t going to be easy to raise a girl with special needs, but they were happy to do it. It was still a tough call to make, but they knew once they agreed to do it that they were making a big commitment for life.
Tough Times Ahead
Spot The Difference
It didn’t take Hannah long to figure out that she was different from the rest of her family members. While she was growing up, she didn’t seem to be catching up to the rest of her family. Hannah was born with primordial dwarfism, a condition that experts believe only 100 people in the world have.
Spot The Difference
Dealing With Kids
When kids are younger, they tend not to see people as different, but as they get older, they definitely do. Hannah reached high school and everything that Jackie and Larry might have feared would happen to their daughter began to occur. Teenagers never want to stand out from their peers, but Hannah couldn’t blend in.
Dealing With Kids
Teasing
Hannah was dealing with several health complications at high school, including heart problems and brain aneurysms. What made all that suffering even worse was the constant teasing she suffered when she was able to go to school. People would often stare at her, and even though she was 19, people said she was a five-year-old.
Teasing
Crushing Blow
When you’re a teenager at school there’s a good chance you’ve got a crush, and Hannah was no different. She didn’t have a fairytale moment though as he told her that no one would ever date her. Deep down Hanah knew her crush was wrong and there was someone out there for her.
Crushing Blow
Having Plenty Of Backup
One thing that helped Hannah get through any bullying she suffered was the love and support of her close family. Her brothers and sisters accepted her right away and always had her back if someone was mean to her. Sometimes her siblings got into fights, all in the name of protecting their sister.
Having Plenty Of Backup
Having Her Say
Hannah said: “Growing up I always knew I was different from my brothers.” She added they were average height, along with her sister, but Hannah said her parents made sure she had a normal childhood. While Hannah knew she was different physically, she was still as much of the family as everyone else at home.
Having Her Say
Not A Baby
Hannah admitted that she grows frustrated when people see her as a five-year-old. She says “I’m not a baby” and just because she’s smaller doesn’t mean she is any different to those around her. Hannah’s outlook on life has been influenced by her parents ensuring she is treated like one of the family at home.
Not A Baby
Regular Hospital Visits
Hannah has been to the hospital more than most of us ever will. Her condition puts her at risk of brain aneurysms, so she requires regular check ups to monitor how she is doing. Hannah has been in and out of hospital her entire life, and it must feel like a second home to her.
Regular Hospital Visits
Titanium Woman
Although Hannah is at risk of aneurysms, that is not her only health issue. Hannah has scoliosis so has had two titanium rods placed in her spine to correct her posture. She also had to get dental implants because her teeth are naturally so small, plus she has an MRI scan once per year.
Titanium Woman
Making Adjustments
Although much of the outside world tried to alienate Hannah, her family did the opposite. They made adjustments to their home by lowering light switches and adding stools to rooms so she could reach things. Her family had been so accommodating that when one member was in trouble, Hannah did everything she could to help.
Making Adjustments
Mom In Danger
Hannah’s adopted mother Jackie had some bad news from the doctor, and she had been diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease. With Jackie needing a kidney transplant Hannah decided she couldn’t stand by and do nothing. This woman had given her a chance in life, so she wanted to give her mom some help.
Mom In Danger
A Transplant Match
Hannah was returning the favor for her mom and asked the doctor if she was a match for a kidney transplant. She was, but the doctor told her he didn’t want her to go through with the procedure. The doctor told her it was a big risk due to her health condition.
A Transplant Match
Keeping Active
This was not the first time that Hannah had defied the odds and she has lived an active lifestyle since she was young. When she was just two years old, she took up dancing and then gymnastics when she was three. Dancing gives her joy and allows her to forget all about her condition.
Keeping Active
Training Hard
Dancing for Hannah was not just a part-time activity, she really lived for it. Her dance teacher says Hannah is skilled at dancing, acting, and gymnastics, making her a triple threat. Hannah’s perseverance has helped to make her dreams come true, and she has performed many times with her dance troupe.
Training Hard
Never Give Up
Hannah’s dreams have come true, and she is able to dance as much as she wants. She has some advice for people, and it’s no “never give up on your dream.” There are two types of dancing she particularly loves, hip-hop to keep her strong, and ballet to calm her down.
Never Give Up
Taking Each Day As It Comes
There is a chance that Hannah might not make it past 30, and that has motivated her to live a full life. She lives every day as if it was her last and that’s something her parents fully support. They just want her to enjoy whatever time she’s got, and that’s all Hannah focuses on.
Taking Each Day As It Comes
Meeting An Idol
For the 2,500th episode of the Maury Povich Show, the host wanted to make someone’s dream come true. He chose Hannah, and her dream was to meet the popstar and actress Selena Gomez. Hannah got to meet her idol and even scored backstage passes to one of her shows.
Meeting An Idol
A Big Break
It isn’t just dancing that Hannah’s good at and she is pursuing a career in acting. After a few appearances in TV shows and movies, Hannah found herself the focus of the documentary Little and Looking for Love. The show followed Hannah as she tried to find the perfect man for her.
A Big Break
Relying On Friends
Although Hannah is yet to meet ‘the one’ she still has plenty of friends to call on for fun. Her best friends are Heidi and Emily, and together the three spend a lot of their free time hanging out. While she looks for her perfect romantic partner, she has plenty of friends to rely on.
Relying On Friends
Family Roots
Hannah’s family keeps on growing as her brothers and sisters have children. All of her young nieces and nephews are already big enough to hold and carry Hannah. This network of family has been a constant support in her life, and it looks like it will always be that was for Hannah.
Family Roots
Making A Close Friend
It looked as though Hannah had found someone she could share her life with. Brad Jordan also suffered from dwarfism, and the two really hit things off. They even went to prom together, but then tragedy would strike in a reminder to Hannah that life is short so she should enjoy every day.
Making A Close Friend
A Saddening Event
Brad and Hannah hit things off, and she was invited to his sister’s wedding. Then Brad sadly lost his life in 2017 after suffering a heart attack. It was a reminder to Hannah about her own mortality, and it was a very sad time in her life to have such a close friend pass away.
A Saddening Event
Hopes For The Future
Hannah hasn’t yet given up on love just yet though, and she does see a family of her own in her future. She wants to get married and have children of her own. Hannah has her type, and it’s guys that come with blue eyes, brown hair, and most importantly, a mohawk.
Hopes For The Future
Living It Up
It’s not all about staying at home for Hannah, and she loves nothing more than heading out with her friends. Her friend has a boat and always makes sure to invite Hannah any time they are taking it out onto the water. Hannah’s friends make sure to include her in everything they do.
Living It Up
Big Dreams
Despite her situation, that hasn’t stopped Hannah from having some pretty big life goals. She wants to be a singing coach while also traveling the world thanks to her dancing skills. Hannah believes she will never give up on her dreams and she will continue to aim for the stars in her life.
Big Dreams
Racking Up The Experiences
Although her mom worries about Hannah’s future, she is helping her to achieve her dreams any way she can. Jackie knows that Hannah is battling both her body and the clock. Because of the hand she was dealt in life, Jackie feels nothing but love and admiration for Hannah’s attitude.
Racking Up The Experiences
Acting As A Role Model
Hannah is proving to everyone that there are no obstacles in life. Sure things might be harder for her, but that isn’t stopping her from doing everything she can to get as many experiences as she can while she’s around. She might have a limited time, but she’s packing more in than most others.
Acting As A Role Model
Special Bond
Jackie says she shares a special bond with Hannah and that her daughter is her sidekick. They always do fun stuff together, and Jackie hopes that their loving mother-daughter relationship will always remain this strong. Jackie doesn’t like talking about Hannah’s life expectancy but knows she’ll have to deal with it eventually.
Special Bond
Making A Connection
Hannah’s family became a part of the National Little People of America Conference, and through it, they have made many connections. Friends have been made, and they give everyone an update on Hannah’s condition while bonding with others in the same place in life. It has proven a great place to be for Hannah too.
Making A Connection
Holding A Benefit
Jackie, Larry, and Hannah strongly felt as though they wanted to give something back to the community. They held a fundraising event for Potential Foundation, an organization where “size never determines potential.” That benefit and many like it have raised the profile of the organization looking to support little people.
Holding A Benefit
What Is Hannah’s Condition?
Primordial dwarfism affects the growth rate of those who suffer from it. They grow at a much slower rate and people who are the same age soon begin growing much faster. Those who suffer from the condition will never catch up their peers as they get left further and further behind.
What Is Hannah’s Condition?
Hannah’s Measurements
Hannah has finished growing, but unlike her peers, she is a fraction of their size. In the United States, the average height for a woman is 5 ft 4 in, but Hannah is much shorter than that. She is just 39 inches tall, making her stand a little over 3 ft.
Hannah’s Measurements
Beating The Odds?
Statistically, people who suffer from primordial dwarfism are not expected to be alive beyond their 30th birthdays. Hannah is one of just 100 people who suffer from the condition making her a very special person. It’s unknown how long Hannah has left, but with her positive attitude to life, we hope it’s many more years.
Beating The Odds?
A Passion For Shopping
Hannah might live a slightly different lifestyle to most of us, but that doesn’t stop her doing the most normal of things. One thing Hannah loves doing more than most is the same thing many teenagers love. She is a big shopper and always heads to the local stores with her best friends.
A Passion For Shopping
Showing The Bullies
People might have teased Hannah for being different, but that didn’t stop her from having a great life. If people thought she couldn’t do something that just drove her on to prove them all wrong. Hannah had the last laugh because she didn’t let their words have an effect on her.
Showing The Bullies
Saving Her Mom
Hannah was determined to save Jackie, so she insisted on having the kidney transplant her doctor warned her against. Thankfully the operation was a success, and it means that Hannah will now have to take medication for the rest of her life. For Hannah, it was a small sacrifice for her adoptive mother.
Saving Her Mom
Keeping On
Although she only has one kidney and isn’t expected to live much longer, Hannah is still positive. She wants to live each day as it comes and her family is hoping medical science can find a way to extend her life. Whatever future problems Hannah faces, she’s always going to look on the bright side.
Keeping On
