Emily was adopted from Russia, where she was born with a condition called diastrophic dysplasia. In this video, she talks about the challenges she's faced, both practical (like driving a car) and profound (losing her adoptive mom at age 15). With multiple surgeries now behind her, Emily plans to go to college and live by the philosophy tattooed on her arm: Fear Is the Limit/Limits Will Not Stop You. Back to Articles Related Articles Spinal Muscular Atrophy: Steven's Story (Video) A teen athlete talks about why he won't let his condition take him out of the game. Read More A to Z: Diastrophic Dysplasia Diastrophic dysplasia is a rare genetic disorder that interferes with bone development and causes abnormal bone growth and dwarfism (short stature). Read More Dwarfism: Emily's Story (Video) Emily was adopted from Russia, where she was born with a type of dwarfism. In this video, she talks about her life philosophy and how she overcame the many hurdles she faced. Read More Emily's Story: Little Person, Big Life (Dwarfism) Emily was adopted from Russia, where she was born with a type of dwarfism. In this video, she talks about how she handles the challenge of being smaller than most people. Read More Growth Problems In most cases, teens who are small are just physically maturing a bit more slowly than their friends. Occasionally, though, there's a medical reason why some kids and teens stop growing. Find out about growth problems and how doctors can help. Read More Dwarfism Dwarfism is characterized by short stature. Many of the possible complications of dwarfism are treatable, and people of short stature lead healthy, active lives. Read More Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor. © 1995-2021 KidsHealth®. All rights reserved. Images provided by The Nemours Foundation, iStock, Getty Images, Veer, Shutterstock, and Clipart.com.