Nigerian actor Chinedu Ikedieze has bravely opened up about the painful moment when he almost ended his life due to being a dwarf.
In a raw interview on the YouTube channel With Chude, Chinedu shared the struggles of his childhood. “It was tough growing up.
People kept calling me different names,” he recalled. “I started realizing something was wrong when my younger brother grew taller than me. One day, I was taken to the doctor, and I saw him write ‘stunted growth.’ I went and looked for the meaning.”
Chinedu’s path through the darkness was made easier by his mother’s constant encouragement. “My mum would always encourage me to study because I couldn’t do hard jobs. I knew the only weapon I had to conquer the world was being good in my books.”
But even with this, there were moments when he felt overwhelmed. “I cried, and there were times I thought of ending it all. I felt like the world was unfair to me. Kids would call me names,” he shared. “Whenever the negative thoughts came, I would remember what my mum said.”
Chinedu also spoke about the first time he met Osita Iheme, his co-actor from Aki and Ukwa. “There was chemistry the first time we met. People always said we looked alike, and when I saw him, I knew he was the guy,” he smiled.
Chinedu’s powerful story serves as a reminder of the strength that can arise from hardship, and how a mother’s love and self-belief can guide us through even the darkest moments.
What is Dwarfism?
Dwarfism is short stature that results from a genetic or medical condition. Stature is the height of a person in a standing position.
It is divided into two categories.
- Disproportionate dwarfism. This is when some parts of the body are small, and others are of average or above-average size. Conditions causing this category of dwarfism get in the way of bone development.
- Proportionate dwarfism. This is when all parts of the body are small to the same degree and appear like a body of average stature. Medical conditions present at birth or that occur in early childhood limit overall growth and development.
The most common cause of dwarfism is a condition called achondroplasia, which causes disproportionately short stature. This condition usually results in:
- An average-sized trunk.
- Short arms and legs, with particularly short upper arms and upper legs.
- Short fingers, often with a wide separation between the middle and ring fingers.
- Limited mobility at the elbows.
- A large head in relation to the rest of the body, with a prominent forehead and a flattened bridge of the nose.
- Bowed legs that get worse.
- Swayed lower back that gets worse.
- An adult height of 4 feet, 1 inch (125 cm) for women and 4 feet 4 inches (132 cm) for men.
Another cause of disproportionate dwarfism is a rare condition called spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita (SEDC).
