‘Little People, Big World’ Zach & Tori Roloff Open Up About The Challenges Of Having A Dwarf Baby

Little People, Big World stars Zach and Tori Roloff finally let fans in on baby Jackson’s exact health status. The couple revealed that their first child has dwarfism just like his dad Zach and grandparents Matt and Amy Roloff.

Specifically, baby Jackson inherited achondroplasia, the same type of dwarfism as Zach’s and Amy’s. According to Healthline, this is the most common type of dwarfism and most people who are born with it usually go on to live with a normal life span. However, there are physical and health risks, such as bone problems and heart diseases.

Zach and Tori opened up about the challenges they’re facing now that it’s been revealed that Jackson is an “LP,” or little person. In their video blog posted on TLC Me on Tuesday, the new parents showed off their baby to their fans for the first time since he was born last May 12.

“Baby Jackson came out as an LP, as an ‘achon,’ just like me,” Zach announced. Despite the baby’s condition, Zach added that they’re excited to raise him.

“We’re super excited for him, though. We hope to just give him a healthy [and] happy life. Hopefully, he’ll get to experience everything in the world just as Tori and [I] have been able to, and hopefully much more. That’s our goal for him.”

Introducing baby Jackson! Zach and Tori are telling us everything –> https://t.co/MCDKw2ADWB #TLCme #LPBW pic.twitter.com/olfHnSWhhI

— TLC Network (@TLC) May 30, 2017

With dwarfism in Zach’s genes, Zach and Tori knew before getting pregnant that there was a 50 percent chance that their kids could inherit the condition. In a past episode of Little People, Big World, Zach revealed that the ultrasound showed baby Jackson’s limbs to be indicative of dwarfism.

Tori was more concerned about the possibility of having a “different” child, but Zach was quick to correct her fears.

“To me, that’s not different. He’s just like me.”

As a child, Zach had to undergo multiple medical procedures for different complications. Doctors had to drain fluids from his skull, a common difficulty among children with achondroplasia. In Little People, Big World Season 2, Zach was seen going into surgery to correct the bowing of his legs.

Zach and Tori know baby Jackson’s future will not be easy, but they’re glad to see a stubborn streak in his nature already.

“He might have to take two steps for everyone else with one step. But hopefully, we’ll be able to raise him in a way where that won’t stop him.”

The proud parents are enjoying mommy and daddy duties. They happily announced that Jackson has been an easy baby so far. Tori also joked that Zach has already been a “master” in changing diapers. Before their vlog ended, Zach and Tori also thanked their fans who congratulated them and even sent gifts for baby Jackson.

Zach and Tori celebrated Memorial’s Day with the whole Roloff family last weekend, as seen on their social media posts. Baby Jackson also joined the festivities, as Mommy Tori was seen baby-wearing him.

Meanwhile, Jeremy and Aubrey just moved back to Portland last week — a decision they made to be closer to the family. They are said to be in “nesting” mode now, preparing for the birth of their first child sometime in September. So far, they have not disclosed whether their baby will have dwarfism from Jeremy’s side.

In last week’s Little People, Big World episode, Jeremy said that dwarfism is a recessive gene. With him and Audrey being average in height, there’s very little chance that their baby girl will be a little person. However, he concluded that if his baby would turn out to be an LP, then there’s no better family to take care of her than theirs.

You can follow the Roloff family’s journey on Little People, Big World every Tuesday, 9 p.m. EST, on TLC.

[Featured Image by TLC/Twitter]