From the day Hannah stepped into this world, it was clear that she was not going to have a simple life. Upon learning that her little baby was born with dwarfism, Hannah’s mother immediately placed her into the care of an adoption agency. Months went by but it looked like no wanted little Hannah, until...
Eventually, a sweet couple called Jackie and Larry arrived and fell in love with the little girl from the moment they met her. What they didn’t know, was that little Hannah would one day return this love when they really needed it most.
Not only did she get a set of loving parents, she got siblings too. She had two brothers, Mark and Matt, and an older sister, Kelly. It was definitely hard for Jackie and Larry sky to raise their new addition to the family with such special needs. Nevertheless, it was a choice they wanted to make and were happy with. It was also one that would literally save their lives.
As the time progressed it became more and more apparent that she was different from all the other girls. As she was going up her physical growth was quite different from that of her siblings. So, Larry and Jackie explained Everything to Hannah as she became able to understand. Hannah knew in the right then that she was a special one, only 100 people in the entire world have been known to be born with primordial dwarfism. Even though this challenge was manageable, the real challenge still awaited them: high school.
Even from a really young age, Hannah had to deal with a ton of health problems such as her prominent heart condition and brain aneurysms. On top of this, she also had to deal with people making fun of her in school. Even at the ripe age of 19, people believe that she was still 5. She also had to endure people’s stare wherever she went. And how can we not mention bullying? At this stage in her life, even her love interest rejected her and along with her heart crushed her spirit as well by telling her that no one would ever date her. But little did he know, this was far from the truth!
Hannah was blessed to have been adopted by such loving parents and even siblings. Often it is hard for children to accept new siblings as their own, but they welcomed her with open arms, and when the bullies would attack her at school, they were always there to stick up for her and ward them away. There were often occasions that a fight would break out even, but all in the name of protection of their sister.
“Growing up I always knew I was different from my brothers, Mark and Matt, and my sister, Kelly, who was of average height. “My mom and dad still made sure I had a normal childhood though. Hannah said: “Everyone thinks I’m five-years-old when they see me and it’s frustrating because I’m not a baby. “Just because I’m smaller, doesn’t mean I’m any different.”
Since she was born, Hannah has been to more doctors appointments than most of us can comprehend. Since her condition puts her at risk for developing aneurysms and other conditions, it is paramount that she is monitored regularly. This includes getting an annual MRI scan and visits to the dentist to get dental implants because her teeth are very small. She’s also had her scoliosis corrected with two titanium rods implanted in her back. This is a lot to handle.
The outside world tried to alienate her, but fortunately, her family always made her feel loved and welcomed. The Kritzecks constantly boost Hannah’s confidence and shower her with positivity. At home, they even lowered all the lights switches and added stools to the kitchen and bathroom so she could reach the sinks and the counters, and feel normal. When her adopted mom Jackie had polycystic kidney disease and needed a kidney transplant, she decided she couldn’t stand by and watch her mother suffer.
Without her parents knowing, she booked an appointment to find out if she was a perfect match for a transplant. Although she was a match, the doctor was concerned and did not want her to go through with it. Hannah’s condition puts her at risk for a whole host of lethal conditions. As a result, she has to take medication and get check-ups weekly. But despite the risk, she knew what she wanted to do. Hannah’s adopted mom saved her life when nobody else wanted her. Now it was time to return the favor.
Hannah knew she wanted to be a star from a young age. She started dancing when she was two, took up gymnastics when she was three. Dancing gives her joy and allows her to be who she wants to be in those moments. And despite the aches caused by her condition, she finds a way to overcome them to make her dreams come true.
She trained hard to be a dancer, a singer, and an actress. Her dance teacher, Ellie Walter, says that size doesn’t stop Hannah, and can freestyle just as well, if not better than her other dancers. This is so inspiring and shows, that with a little perseverance, and some hard work, you can truly make your dreams come true like Hannah has.
She said: “My advice to anyone living with the condition would be to never give up on your dream, and keep trying.” She spoke of her love for dance saying: “I love hip hop it keeps me strong and ballet calms me down”. It is so impressive that she has found a love for this and has gone with it and never let the fear or what people might say stop her.
The fact that she might not live past her 30th birthday seems to be Hannah’s motivation. She is passionate about living every day as if it were her last. Her parents stand by this and motivate her to believe in herself. In the end, her positive outlook on life is what’s led her to accomplish everything she’s set her heart to, and that includes meeting one of her idols.
For the 2500th episode of The Maury’s Show, Maury Povich made the announcement that she was going to make someone’s dreams come true. And that dream belonged to Hannah, What had been on this show several times before. Because of this, it wasn’t hard for them to know that Hannah has always wanted to meet Selena Gomez, her idol. Finally, on The Maury’s Show, Hannah’s dreams came true when she met Selena Gomez and even scored backstage passes for her upcoming concert.
After meeting up with her idol, Hannah set her eyes on even bigger dreams, such as making her debut in the Hollywood. Though she started out small with brief appearance on tv shows and movie, eventually she hit gold with her 2014 documentary “Little and Looking for Love”. This documentary outlined Hannah’s one true wish of finding “the one”, and even though she hadn’t found the mister right, she had no shortage of men.
While Hannah waits for her dream guy to sweep her off her feet, like other women, she’s got plenty of love in other areas of her life. Apart from her family, she’s got a strong network of friends who love her, including her two best friends, Heidi Melgren and Emily Tofte, whom she spends a lot of her free time with.
Hannah’s siblings have grown up, and are now married. They even have their own kids, who, Hannah claims can carry her. Hannah feels so blessed that she has an amazing support system in her family and they’ll always be there for her, which she never imagined could have happened to her. Hannah hasn’t always had people who have stuck around in her life, however.
In this huge world, Hannah had found a friend who too suffered from dwarfism. His name was Brad Jordan and his friendship with Hannah was somewhat romantic. They even went to the prom together and brad was invited to be Hannah’s date for her sister’s wedding. Hannah thought she had finally found love, but then...
But fate had other plans for the two, Not long after Brad suffered a heart attack in the March of 2017, which claimed his life. But he was not the only one was suffered, Hannah had to watch her true friend die and not only did it saddened her, it also reminded her of her own mortality.
But regardless of all the challenges, she does believe she has future: “Looking to the future, I’d like to get married and have my own family.” Hannah believes that one of these days she will find her one true love, someone with deep blue eyes and a mohawk. At the same time, she realized how little time she has left and so she relished every single moment she has in this world.
But there is still a grim fact that looms over this little star, there is a good chance that she won't live past 30. But seems to be a source of motivation for her as this one fact pushes her to live every day of her life as if it were her last. With a little help and support from her parents, Hannah has gone on to achieve her dreams, including meeting her idol face to face.
She has dreams of being a singing coach, and traveling the world with ballet and dance, and says that she is never going to give up on her dreams and that it is important to always keep trying.
63-year-old Jackie continues to worry for her daughter. She knows that Hannah is battling time, but she admires her. In the end, Hanna has not only inspired us to pursue our dreams but to knock down any obstacle that stands in our way.
Being the incredible role model that she is will hopefully prove to others who are like her, and anyone else in general that there’s nothing you can’t do if you set your heart and your mind to it.
The bond between the mother and daughter is strong, with hopes that it will continue to remain strong for a long time. Hannah is even her side-kick! But with Hannah's special, her mortality is a bitter truth of reality that is hard to face for the mother. “I guess delving into her life expectancy is a hard thing. I don’t like to talk about it but do need to face it," Jackie confessed.
The Hugo family endeavors to aid the Potentials Foundation, a charity which helped them connect with others with the same condition as Hannah. They are grateful for the chance to travel with the National Little People of America Conference which gives them a chance to reunite with friends, at the end of which, a seminar, followed by a health checkup of Hannah is conducted.
With the immense amount of help the Hugo family had received from the foundation, they felt it their duty to pay it forward. They held a benefit for the foundation with the motto “size never defines potential.” From this benefit, it has grown immensely, with over 50 families in 19 states and 10 countries.
Those affected with the condition have a growth rate much slower than their peers, leaving individuals with primordial dwarfism perpetually years behind their peers in height and in weight. Hannah weighs just over 28 pounds and measuring a meager 39 inches tall.
The condition is extremely rare, with only a 100 recorded cases worldwide. The life expectancy of those with this type of dwarfism aren't expected to live past the age of 30, but Hannah seems to be beating the odds.
Hannah was interviewed for a video, and her personal charm really shines through. It is a heartwarming experience watching her speak so positively and with such braveness.
The operation went well, but at great risk to Hannah's life. It is rare enough to see individuals with Primordial Dwarfism make it past age 30 and even rarer with only one kidney. But the Kritzecks are hopeful that the enormous medical advances will help Hannah live her life to the fullest.