‘Little People, Big World’: Does Audrey and Jeremy Roloff’s Child Have Dwarfism?

We remember when Matt and Amy Roloff were first introduced to our televisions in 2006 with their hit TV show, Little People, Big World. The couple each have a different type of dwarfism and stand around 4 feet tall — but they never let their size stop them from accomplishing their dreams. On the show, we got to see them navigate their work and family lives with their kids, twins Zach and Jeremy, Molly, and Jacob. And while the kids started on the show when they were just teens, they’re all grown up now.

Today, Jeremy Roloff, a fan favorite from the show, has a child with his popular wife, Audrey. And while Jeremy doesn’t have dwarfism, many wonder if their child, Ember, does. Here’s what we know.

Jeremy and Audrey’s child, Ember, is a year old

While Jeremy and Audrey announced they’d no longer be a part of the show in the summer of 2018, we still got to get a glimpse of Audrey’s pregnancy and the couple’s life with baby Ember. Birth and early motherhood didn’t come easy for Audrey, however. Born in September 2017, Audrey wrote on her blog, AujPoj, that she was 10 days past her due date by the time she was finally going into labor. She also chose to give birth unmedicated, which certainly had its difficulties. And, though she had a lot of pain and discomfort with postpartum recovery, she still maintains that having Ember with Jeremy by her side was a blessing that brought them closer together.

We may not see much of Ember in the future on Little People, Big World, but we do get to see the adorable photos of their little family on Instagram. And you can keep up with Audrey’s personal thoughts and feelings on her blog, too.

Does Ember have dwarfism?

While dwarfism runs in Jeremy’s family, his daughter does not have any form of the condition and is expected to grow to an average height. Heavy explains while both of Jeremy’s parents have dwarfism, they don’t have the same type. Matt Roloff has diastrophic dysplasia, and Amy has achondroplasia. Only one of Jeremy’s siblings — his twin brother, Zach — inherited the dwarfism genes and has achondroplasia like his mother.

So, what are the odds Ember would have been born with dwarfism? The National Human Genome Research Institute explains her odds were relatively low since Jeremy didn’t have the condition despite his family history. If Jeremy did have the gene mutation and Audrey did not, Ember’s odds would have jumped to 50%.

Jeremy’s twin, Zach, has a child with dwarfism

While Ember may not have the gene mutation, Jeremy does have a nephew who has it. His twin, Zach, has a child with achondroplasia, Heavy reports, which is the same type of dwarfism Zach and Amy have. The publication notes the baby, Jackson, was born at a normal weight, but as he ages, he will not grow to be of average height.

Zach and his wife, Tori, are undeterred by their son’s diagnosis, though. “We’ll hope to just give him a healthy, happy life and support him in every way,” Zach said. “Hopefully he can experience as much of the world as Tori and me have been able to and hopefully much more. He may have to take two steps for everyone else’s one step, but hopefully we’ll be able to raise him in a way where that won’t stop him”

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