Most married couples are used to friends and family asking when they plan to have children. But for Charli Worgan and her husband Cullen, the question people often asked was why they would want children at all.
Charli and Cullen live in Sydney and both have different types of dwarfism. Because of that, strangers often pass judgment on them, and the attention only increased when Charli became pregnant for the first time.
After their first daughter was born, Charli was filled with joy and wanted to help others better understand their life. She created a social media account to share their story and teach people that their family is just like any other. She never imagined how many people would connect with them.
Today, they are proud parents of two beautiful little girls, and Charli’s Instagram page has grown to more than 300,000 followers.
Not long ago, Charli announced she was 14 weeks pregnant with their third child. The news was exciting but also came with fear and emotional weight.
Every pregnancy has brought immense stress. Because Charli and Cullen each have a different genetic form of dwarfism, their children have four possible outcomes. They could inherit Charli’s condition, inherit Cullen’s condition, be completely average height, or inherit both types of dwarfism which doctors say is not survivable.
Charli has been very open about how heartbreaking this uncertainty is. She cannot experience the same carefree excitement that many expectant mothers feel around the 12-week mark.
She wrote about what she was facing.
While most people are celebrating the moment they get to share their pregnancy news publicly, I was preparing for Chorionic Villus Sampling, similar to an amniocentesis. It involves a large needle inserted through my abdomen to collect placental tissue. There is a 2 percent risk of miscarriage. We have no choice but to do this to learn our baby’s genetic outcome.
Their daughters, four-year-old Tilba and two-year-old Tully, each inherited one form of dwarfism. So, when Charli became pregnant again, the family had to wait anxiously to find out which of the four possible outcomes this new baby would have.
Charli shared more of her thoughts in her Instagram post:
Charli described the four possible outcomes doctors told them about:
- Their baby could be born at an average height.
- Their baby could have achondroplasia, which is the same type of dwarfism Charli has.
- Their baby could have geleophysic dysplasia, the same condition Cullen lives with.
- Their baby could inherit both genetic variations. This is called double dominant dwarfism and medical experts agree it would not be compatible with life. If that happened, Charli would have to decide whether to continue the pregnancy and see what might happen, or to end it for the baby’s sake.
Charli explained the emotional weight of waiting for those results. She said she was holding her breath to find out whether she would be able to welcome this child into the world in March 2021, or whether the baby’s life would end before it even had a chance to begin.
By sharing her story with the public, she has also faced harsh judgment. She addressed that criticism in her message.
People have questioned why we would choose to have children with these odds. That deserves a much bigger discussion on its own. But by showing what we go through, I hope those who doubt us can understand this is not a simple choice. Every step is made with love. It is all about compassion.
Today, Charli and Cullen are the proud parents of three happy, healthy children. Their family continues to openly share the good days and the hard days, helping others understand what life is really like for them.
Their son, Rip, arrived at the end of February. Charli posted a photo of herself holding her newborn and included a heartfelt message meant for all parents.
I am exhausted, but I feel so grateful and so lucky. There is no single right way to be a mother, and I am pretty sure there is no wrong way either.
In everything she shares, Charli reminds people that parenting in her home looks a lot like parenting everywhere else. Many mothers and fathers can connect with their challenges, their victories, and the everyday beauty of raising a family.