- And how tall are you?
- Hm, stand side by side, are you taller or am I taller?
- (inhales deeply) I don't want to be rude.
- Hey.
- I have never met you before.
- I don't think I've ever met you either.
- My name's Maddox.
- And I'm Charity.
- Nice to meet you.
- Nice to meet you too, man.
- What are we here to talk about?
- (laughs) We are here to talk
about my disability, and my height.
- You know, I feel kinda bad for you when you just say that.
- Why?
- It's hard to say.
- Is it because I'm short?
- I don't want to say that.
- Well, you know what, at first,
I was so angry because I thought I was gonna still grow.
And when the doctor, they did this
measurement thing, and they told me and my mom,
"You're not gonna grow anymore,"
and I just broke down crying, I was so upset
because I wanted to be tall like my friends.
But, I realized the more I cried,
the more I was upset, I wasn't getting taller.
So, what to do when you can't get taller?
I began to love me, and since then
I have had so many good friends,
and they treat me as if I'm so tall.
- And how tall are you?
- Hm, stand side by side, are you taller or am I taller?
- (inhales deeply) I don't want to be rude.
- (laughs) Is it rude to ask who's taller?
- (inhales deeply) To me it is, kinda.
- Okay, so I'm gonna let you know that you are taller, okay?
And I am three feet tall, so if I'm three
and you, what's that, about four?
- Six feet, five feet?
- Whoa.
- [Female] You're four foot two.
- Four feet?
- [Male] You're four foot two, Maddox.
- I'm four 15".
- No, four foot, two.
There is a name for my disability,
and it is called osteogenesis imperfecta.
And what it means is is brittle bones.
It means your bones are so soft.
- Your what?
- Your bones, are very soft.
- Ohh.
- So what happens when your bones
are soft, what does that mean?
- You're not drinking enough milk.
- I tried that, I swear to God, I tried it.
My bones are very soft, when I sneezed
when I was a little girl, I could break a bone,
when I coughed, my ribs would break.
- And you always have to repair them?
- Yes, I have had 23 surgeries.
I usually break my thighs, and guess what?
What the doctors did to help me out,
they put a pin in my leg, and they put it in my hip,
and it is from my hip to my knee, I know.
Because I was so fragile, if one leg was broke
they had to put both legs in the casts, and then they would
turn around and put a stick in the middle of my legs
and that's how my mom would tote me-
I would put an arm around her neck,
and she would grab the stick and
she would pick me up and tote me to the car.
- Aw that's nice, you know, moms are born to be awesome.
- I know, my mom is so awesome.
- What do you do for fun?
- I have a five-year-old son, his name is JT,
and for fun I hang out with him.
- And when you go to work do you have
a babysitter to take care of your kid?
- I used to, but now, I have a husband, I'm married.
- Oh.
- Yeah, ain't it cute?
So, I'm married, so he takes my son
to school while I go to work.
What do you think my husband looks like?
Do you think he's tall, or do you think he's small?
- You know, I'll just say tall.
- He is tall, he is very tall.
- And when he wants to kiss you,
does he have to go all the way to his knees?
- I know, my husband has this huge stomach,
and so he hates to bend down, so he sits down and he goes,
"Come here, come here, come here,"
and so I come in and he goes *kisses air*.
And sometimes he would knock on the door and I'm like,
"Who's is it, who is it?" And when
I open the door he is on his knees, he'll go,
"Hey, baby," and I go "Baby, you're so silly, man, get up."
So yes, he do get on his knees to give me a kiss.
- Are there any things you can't do like reach the doorknob?
- There's not nothing I really can't do.
We, as people with disabilities always find a way
of accommodating, like a stove.
I cannot reach the stove so I have to have a stepstool.
I cannot walk far, so sometimes-
I do have a wheelchair at home.
- Is it like the robotic type when it has a joystick?
- Yes, it's motorized.
- I love those types.
- I know right?
- Do you like being different?
- I do now, if somebody asked me, "Do I want to change?"
I don't, you know why, because you'll never forget me.
I'm different, people remember people
that are different, and I love that.
- Thank you.
- For sharing my story, I thank you for listening.
- You're welcome.
- [Male] Was Maddox as crazy as you thought he'd be?
- Yes, he is so awesome and very respectful, I'm like,
(squeals) I love that, I love that.
You are gonna be an awesome man.
- Thank you.
- Yes.