A woman from Maryland, who underwent limb lengthening surgery, has shared her appearance 15 years after initially undergoing the corrective procedure.
Chandler Crews was born with achondroplasia, a genetic condition that impedes bone growth in the cartilage of the growth plate, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.
This genetic defect can be inherited from a parent or result from a spontaneous mutation in the developing embryo. Individuals with this condition typically achieve an adult height ranging from 42 to 56 inches.
By age 16, the 31-year-old had reached her adult height of 3’10”. Before opting for the controversial limb-lengthening surgery, she faced considerable physical challenges in performing daily activities such as washing her hair, driving, and using public restrooms.
Additionally, she had to attend frequent hospital visits for specialist consultations about her condition’s complications, such as bowed legs and ear infections, according to the Daily Mail.
Determined that lengthening her limbs would enable her to live the ‘life she wanted’, she underwent her first surgery at the Rubin Institute for Advanced Orthopedics.
Describing the procedure, which involves cutting a bone and using an external frame to slowly separate segments to promote bone growth, Crews stated: “I didn’t want to wait for the world to change to fit my needs. I wanted to take charge and change for myself and no one else.”
Following her initial limb lengthening surgery in August 2010, Crews underwent two additional procedures.
She continued her treatments at the Rubin Institute for Advanced Orthopedics with corrective surgeries for her bowed legs and to enhance her spine health.
The cost of Crews’ surgeries amounted to nearly $2 million, but since they were deemed ‘necessary’, they were largely covered by insurance.
Ultimately, her height increased to an impressive 4’11-3/4”, as reported in an interview with Limblength.org.
Reflecting on the experience, Crews spoke about the impact of being 13 inches taller.
“Being able to just walk up to someone and communicate with my face in the same range as their face has been the biggest game changer for me,” Crews acknowledged.
“My treatment at RIAO didn’t just change me physically, it changed everything for me,” she remarked at the time.
According to the Daily Mail, Crews noted that after her arms were lengthened between 2011 and 2013, she could now reach the top of her head to tie her hair in a ponytail.
She also mentioned being able to ‘sit a safer distance away from the steering wheel when driving’ and manage feminine hygiene without a bidet.
“At 4’11’ I’m still really short, but I’m what I call (for myself) a ‘comfortable short’,” she added.
Crews has utilized her lifelong experience with achondroplasia to establish an advocacy group, The Chandler Project.
The organization aims to ‘assist and offer hope to other people’ affected by the condition and raises awareness for new research on pharmaceutical and surgical treatments for achondroplasia, as reported by The Irish Star.
“Children have died from complications of achondroplasia. Adults have died from having achondroplasia. No one ever wants to talk about it, but it’s true. Living with achondroplasia is a difficult life, but it’s the only one I have,” she explained.
“I’m working hard to make it my best life and show others they too can control the way they live with this condition.”