Most married couples can relate to being asked when they plan to have children, but Charli Worgan and her husband Cullen were frequently asked ‘why’. The Sydney-based parents each have a different type of dwarfism and are frequently subjected to public scrutiny, particularly after Charli fell pregnant with their first child. After giving birth to their first daughter, the joyful Australian mother decided to launch a social media account to educate others about their family life; little did she know how successful her account would become.
The couple now has two gorgeous daughters, and Charli’s Instagram account has more than 300,000 followers. Charli recently revealed that she was 14 weeks pregnant with her third child, but the announcement was bittersweet. Charli has been subjected to painful genetic testing during each pregnancy. Charli and Cullen’s genetic abnormalities mean that their offspring may inherit one type of dwarfism (either their mother’s or father’s), be of average height, or inherit both types of dwarfism, which specialists believe is fatal.
Charli expressed her disappointment at not being able to celebrate the 12-week mark in her pregnancy like most other mothers. “However when most at 12 weeks are celebrating the joy of being able to announce pregnancy, I was lining up for Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS – similar to an Amniocentesis) – that’s a massive needle through my abdomen to take a sample of placenta that carries a 2% rate of miscarriage, in order to test the genetic makeup of my baby.”
Their daughters Tully, two, and Tilba, four, both had one of the two varieties of dwarfism, so when Charli became pregnant with her third child, they waited to find out which of the four possible outcomes their kid would have. Charli explained in her Instagram post: 1. We would have a baby of ordinary height. 2. Our baby would have Achondroplasia, the same type of dwarfism as myself.
3. Our baby would have Geleophysic Dysplasia, which is the same type of dwarfism as Culle 4. Our baby would inherit both genetic variations, known as “double dominant dwarfism,” which all professional medical evaluations indicate would be lethal at delivery. If this had happened, I would have had the option of continuing the pregnancy and seeing how things progressed, or terminating it. Charli stated that the reality of their predicament was that she was waiting to find out if she could bring this little one into the world in March 2021 or if his or her journey would end here.
Sharing her life so publicly has resulted in a lot of criticism, which she tackles in her piece. “I’ve copped criticism for choosing to have babies with these odds and that’s a whole conversation in itself, however by sharing this tiny piece of the puzzle those who doubt can see that bringing a child into this world with my odds is no simple decision and it’s all about being kind ?”
The couple now has three lovely children who are all doing well, and the family is open about their ups and downs. Her baby boy Rip was born at the end of February, and she uploaded a post with a photo of herself with her newborn and some insightful words for all parents. “I’m tired, but I’m grateful and lucky. There is no ‘right’ way to do parenthood, but I am confident that there is no ‘wrong’ way either.
Finally, Charli demonstrates that her life as a parent is no different from anyone else’s; many parents can relate to the difficulties and joys of bringing children into the world. Her posts are an example to everyone, and I wish this family good health and happiness on their journey together.