Dubai: They may be little in stature, but they are tall in spirit.
This spirit is exactly what people with dwarfism in the UAE are going to celebrate on October 25 to mark ‘International Dwarfism Day’ here for the first time.
The little big people will come together at Jumeirah Open Beach to share their experiences, challenges and problems.
“We want to have a mutual support and with this in mind we are trying to get as many little people together as possible. All are welcome to join,” Zahra Khumri, an Indian expat based in Dubai, who is taking the initiative with the support of Special Families Support (SFS) group, told XPRESS.
Doing well
The 34-year-old, a computer engineer, said many people with dwarfism have carved out successful careers and also done well in their personal lives. The get-together is a forum to help them share their experiences and challenges and inspire others.
“Initial years were tough with all the concerns my family had about how I would live, how - and if - I would get married, etc.
“The first time they realised I was good was when I topped 10th standard in the state exams. Over the years everything fell into place, I got a good job, got married and have a baby. To anyone with dwarfism, I would say height should not be the reason for you to give up.”
Her Indian husband Mufaddar Khumri shares similar views. “I never let myself be affected by what people say. Yes, there would be remarks, especially when I went to college, but those who dealt with me would soon realise that I was as good as them and things have been good,” said Khumri, Head of Islamic Banking with RAK Bank.
Muffadar had an adverse reaction to a medicine he was given in childhood to restrict his growth as he was growing “a bit too fast”. His stopped growing at 4’7”, but that never let him give up on his dreams which included a career in business journalism and, later, starting a family.
Zahra says they fell in love after they met online. “We went for genetic counselling when we wanted to start a family and doctors told us we risked having a child with dwarfism. But we decided to go ahead. Dwarfism doesn’t limit your abilities in any other way and we felt if we could realise our dreams so can our child,” said the couple whose five-year-old daughter Zoya also has dwarfism.
Equally inspiring is the story of 44-year-old Pakistani Khalid Aziz, a former crime reporter with Roznama Pakistan (a daily Urdu newspaper), who is a familiar face at Crowne Plaza on Shaikh Zayed Road where he has been working for almost 17 years. Aziz, who once returned a very precious diamond necklace at a function of a royal family a couple of years ago was also given an ‘Honesty Award’ by his employer recently. Hard work and a friendly nature are not his only virtues. Get chatting with him and you could discover a poet.
Life did pose challenges, but Aziz learnt to take those in his stride. His 4’6” height does invite an initial awkwardness with people “but within a few minutes of meeting me, they do understand that I mean business.”
“I have made many friends, and my achievements I would say are the same as those of any other person. I look after my family and am educating my children,” he said.
Another inspiring tale is that of 15-year-old Pakistani Zuraiz Rafay who is already making a mark for himself with his architectural skills and academic achievements. Rafay was born with dwarfism, but that did not stunt his dreams. Rafay turned his limitation into strength by winning gold medals in freestyle 50- and 100-metre swimming events at the Dwarf Athletic Association of America (DAAA) National Games last year.
In his home you find miniature models and sketches of houses, buildings and a Burj Khalifa that Zuraiz has made with cardboard.
Durai Kannu, 55, who is 4.4” tall, works as a display artist with Lulu in Al Barsha. He worked with a circus in India for 12 years and later moved to Dubai when he got a job.
Despite limited resources and no one to support him, Kannu always kept his spirits up. “I feel blessed to have the ability to do what I want to do. There are so many who are suffering much more, I do not think we should complain,” says Kannu, who has been married for almost 20 years and has a daughter.
