MATTHEWS, N.C. — A woman with dwarfism wants to break stereotypes about little people and create a more inclusive community.
What You Need To Know
- Kaitlyn and Caleb Betts have dwarfism, or are little people
- Kaitlyn Betts wants parents to talk to their children about embracing differences
- Kaitlyn Betts also wants others to know she’s not afraid to ask for help but doesn’t always need it.
Kaitlyn Betts, 31, drives her son Caleb to school every day.
“The driver’s license only says pedal extensions for any adaptability. Everything else is the same,” Kaitlyn Betts said.
During their ride, Caleb is talkative, friendly and curious about the camera.
Moments before dropping him off, Kaitlyn Betts unbuckles the 7-year-old from his car seat.
“You can do the top one but you can’t do the bottom one yet,” Kaitlyn Betts says to her son.
Kaitlyn Betts and Caleb both have dwarfism, or are little people. They are short in stature because of a genetic condition.
Right now, Caleb is learning not everyone is the same.
“I’m having that conversation with [Caleb] and he’s different,” Kaitlyn Betts said.
She hopes other parents are teaching their children about differences.
“Everyone is going to have a quirk about them: small, tall, deaf, blind, autism,” Kaitlyn Betts said. “Everybody is built different, nobody is the same.”
However, she said there’s one thing everyone has in common.
“Just because you are built different, doesn’t mean you don’t have the same feelings - The same hopes and dreams as everybody else,” Kaitlyn Betts said.
She’s a mom, a wife, a dog owner and an employee at The Loyalist Market in Matthews.
Kaitlyn Betts loves working at the market and calls it her safe space.
“Everybody looks out for one another. If you need help, they help you out in a minute,” Kaitlyn Betts said.
She asks her co-workers for assistance when she can’t reach something. However, she doesn’t want strangers to assume she always needs help.
“I’ve maneuvered my way around for 30 years, I can still do it by myself,” Kaitlyn Betts said.
She said she’s not afraid to ask for help, if needed.
Kaitlyn Betts’ mom is also a little person.
According to Little People of America, more than 80% of children with dwarfism have average height parents and siblings. The average height of an adult with dwarfism is four feet in height.