“You can brush it off or you can speak up for yourself” Kristen has been advocating for herself and others who live with achondroplasia since she was six years old.

Kristen joins David Rintell, Head of Patient Advocacy at BridgeBio to tell her personal story about living with achondroplasia and how she became an advocate at just six years old. By third grade, Kristen was speaking to classrooms about what it is like to live with achondroplasia. In the episode, Kristen shares how she has dealt with health issues, overcame adversity and even published her story in the book, Little Legs, Big Heart. She explains that achondroplasia isn’t just about height – there are other important quality of life concerns which she has learned to address, while also helping other families navigate the condition.

Anne Lee, Senior Director of Global Patient Advocacy at BridgeBio, provides an overview of achondroplasia, the most common form of dwarfism. She explains how achondroplasia affects a protein in the body called the fibroblast grown factors receptor 3 or FGFR3, which results in slowing down bone growth. Achondroplasia is the most common cause of disproportionate short stature, affecting approximately 55,000 people in the United States and European Union, including up to 10,000 children and adolescents with open growth plates. Anne talks about her work in patient advocacy and what she has learned by listening to people and families living with achondroplasia.