“You can do everything that you want to do.” Erin is living with hypochondroplasia.

Erin joins David Rintell, Head of Patient Advocacy at BridgeBio, and Mandy Rohrig, Director of Patient Advocacy at BridgeBio Gene Therapy, to share her experience living with hypochondroplasia. Erin also has two sons living with hypochondroplasia and one son of average height. Raised in a loving and supportive family with a can-do attitude, her father told her that she may be of short stature but that she could do everything she wanted to do, just maybe in a slightly different way.

Erin shares her diagnostic journey with hypochondroplasia in the third grade. Even though her diagnosis was upsetting to her, her friends and family never treated her any differently. She describes her decision to undergo limb-lengthening surgery, how she manages her condition, and discusses how her two sons navigate living with hypochondroplasia in very different ways. While there were times when Erin would have preferred to be just like everyone else, she has learned the value of embracing individuality and the importance of family and finding fulfillment in life.

Elena Muslimova, Medical Director of the hypochondroplasia program at QED Therapeutics, a BridgeBio affiliate, provides a medical overview. She explains that hypochondroplasia is a rare genetic bone condition causing short stature with an average-sized trunk but shorter arms and legs. It often arises from de novo (spontaneous) mutations, yet it can also be inherited. Hypochondroplasia is typically diagnosed in children aged 2 to 5 years old.

While short stature is the primary characteristic, individuals may experience other complications although the severity of these issues varies greatly among individuals.