00:05 COMM: Sean Stephenson and Mindie Kniss are
COMM: Sean Stephenson and Mindie Kniss are just like any other married couple,
despite the fact that Sean suffers from brittle bone disorder and is only 2 ft 8 inches tall.
SEAN: It's a joy to get to be married to this woman.
Not a day goes by where I don't tell her I love her probably
MINDIE: 8,000 times SEAN: 8,000 times *Laughs*
I think people when they look at our marriage they think how sweet of a person Mindie is to be in love with me
and if they only knew how much I take care of her and put up with her they would be seeing me as the saint.
MINDIE: Yeah, they've got it all backwards.
SEAN: I'm the saint in this marriage, trust me!
COMM: The motivational speakers married in September 2012 after meeting in 2009.
They share a home together in Arizona USA
and Sean tries to maintain as much independence as possible.
MINDIE: On a daily basis Sean actually doesn't need that much help,
typically what he might need help with is showering and he likes that
because he gets to hang out with a naked woman! *Laughs*
COMM: The 35-year-old was born with Osteogenesis Imperfecta or brittle bone disorder
and by the time he was 18, had suffered over 200 fractures in his legs, arms, neck, collar bone, ankle, femur and nose.
SEAN: I can't just mindlessly go to the store by myself,
I have to be aware of my surroundings because the littlest bump or step down off of a
larger curb could be fatal to me. And thats just something that's a part of my life and
it's something that also brings a lot of gifts too. Nobody forgets Sean Stephenson after they meet him.
COMM: But its just the normal ups and downs of marriage that the couple contends with most.
SEAN: It's not easy, I mean there are days - MINDIE: That's true. SEAN: There are days when we will have to spend
an entire day talking through hurt or frustration or upset or confusion and we do our best to work through it.
MINDIE The relationship itself isn't always effortless so we're willing to do the work
to maintain that bond and then typically it just grows stronger.
COMM: After two years of marriage the couple
still receive hate mail from internet trolls, suggesting that Sean will be unable to satisfy
Mindie, and that she's only with him for his money.
SEAN: I think Mindie would be the first to admit that I'm the most sexual, aggressive -
MINDIE: Person I probably have ever met in my life.
SEAN: Yeah, on the planet.
MINDIE: Ever met in my life. SEAN: Yeah and so sex is a very important part of my life.
COMM: Despite their happiness Sean's condition
has meant the decision to have children of their own has not been an easy one to make.
MINDIE: It truly is the flip of a coin. So we could
y'know, fifty fifty chance, either have a kid with OI or -
SEAN: We've gone back and forth on whether
it would be y'know a good thing or a bad thing or did we want to or not want to bring a child
into this world.
COMM: But having children is a matter of when and not if for the couple.
MINDIE: I spent a lot of time in Africa and
just saw kids that needed parents so there are so many children out there that could
use great parents so adoption may be an option for us if we choose to go down that path.
COMM: The couple are planning on buying their own home,
which they'll modify for Sean within the next five years. And are completely focused
on their marriage and businesses, instead of other people's opinions.
SEAN: I think people are uncomfortable with
the idea that those with disabilities are normal human beings, and that they have
sexual desires and fantasies and enjoy being touched and touching. And so I think it's a big statement
more about people's uncomfortableness with their own bodies and the thought of the disabled having sex lives.