NATIONAL DWARFISM AWARENESS MONTH

October has been declared National Dwarfism Awareness Month by Little People of America. Little People of America (LPA) is a national support organization for people with dwarfism and their families.  LPA provides peer, parent and medical support for the dwarfism community.  

LPA began in 1957 with actor Billy Barty and 20 short-statured friends.  The first LPA meeting was monumental for a group of people who were severely mislabeled and misunderstood by society.  

Today, Little People of America is a thriving international organization providing much needed support, education, educational scholarships, and community outreach.

In declaring Dwarfism Awareness Month, LPA hopes to raise positive awareness around dwarfism, address common misconceptions, and increase opportunities for people with dwarfism around the country.  

“People with dwarfism are no different than any other person.  We may just need a well-placed stool.  Our members are children, college students, business professionals, doctors, engineers, mechanics, artists and teachers.  We can do anything an average-height person can do,” says Lois Lamb, LPA President and a person with dwarfism.

"Raising a child with dwarfism is new for most parents.  Being part of LPA has made a tremendous difference.  My daughter and I both have great friends and role models.  High school is not an easy time for most teens, but neither of us feels alone in dealing with any extra challenges," says Joanna Campbell, average-height mother of a teen with dwarfism.

More about LPA and dwarfism:

• There are over 200 distinct forms of dwarfism and skeletal dysplasia.
• People with dwarfism are generally not taller than 4' 10" at adult height. The typical height range is 2'8" to 4'5".
• Eighty percent of people with dwarfism have average-height parents and siblings.
• There are an estimated 30,000 people in the United States and 651,000 internationally with a type of dwarfism.
• In July 2009 the word "midget" was declared inappropriate and offensive. Preferable terms are: average-height, having dwarfism, short stature, little person, lp, and the medical terminology use of dwarf.  A person's name is always the most preferred.
• LPA has registered a complaint with the FCC over the use of the "m" word.  Our goal is to raise awareness around the offensive impact of the word in order to eliminate use of it in media, popular culture and in everyday language.
• LPA has 6500 members across the United States and includes 70 chapters active in all 50 states.
• Skeletal Dysplasias affect bone growth, but generally do not affect cognitive abilities.
• LPA hosts an annual national conference each July which draws more than 2500 attendees for a week of activities, including educational and medical workshops, sports, and social networking and events.

For more information about National Dwarfism Awareness Month, please visit www.lpaonline.org or call 1-888-LPA-2001.  Events supporting National Dwarfism Awareness Month will be occurring throughout the United States all during the month.  Contact the chapter in your area, or the Regional Coordinator for Dwarfism Awareness Month listed on the website.

The National Dwarfism Awareness Month program is dedicated to increasing public knowledge about people with dwarfism.  

Mission of LPA    "LPA is dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with dwarfism throughout their lives while celebrating with great pride Little People’s contribution to social diversity.  LPA strives to bring solutions and global awareness to the prominent issues affecting individuals of short stature and their families."

The LPA National Office is located in Southern California.

Troy Cupps announced that more than $7,000 was raised during the event, which included donations by attendees, the Oklahoma Bulls baseball team and its matching donors, T-shirt sales, and a percent of sales compliments of CiCi’s Pizza and its franchise owner Greg Costly. The restaurant increased its percentage of sales donated from an original 10 percent to 30 percent that night.

The Oklahoma Bulls raised $1,000 for Little Giants Foundation of which individual donors also matched a portion of funds. Individual donors included Dr. Brett B. Dierterlen and Associates, $500; and Bo and Carrie Van Pelt of Mona Vie Tulsa, $1,000.

Mitchell Cupps will join the Oklahoma Bulls on Monday, August 3, at 8 p.m. as this special team battles the Huskies for baseball victory at the All Stars Sports Complex, 61^st and Highway 169 in Tulsa.

“We’re expecting a huge turnout for this game,” says Troy Cupps, Mitchell’s father and a board member of Little Giants Foundation. “You can’t imagine the joy and thrill Mitchell is experiencing right now waiting to hit his first ball.”

More than 1,000 people across Tulsa are expected to attend the event. Although entrance to the game is free, all fundraising proceeds from the game will benefit Little Giants Foundation. Local television celebrity Cindy Morrison will perform The National Anthem and will encourage the crowd to sing along with her rendition of Take Me Out to the Ballgame in the third inning. Donation boxes will be conveniently located around the park.

Corporate sponsors are desperately needed to join our fight. Call Troy Cupps at 918.852.3244 or email troy@littlegiantsfoundation.org for more information about sponsorships. Sponsors will be given logo positioning in the game program and the knowledge that their financial investment plays a critical role toward a cure for Schimke Immuno-osseous Dysplasia, one of the rarest forms of dwarfism. Become a part of Little Giants Foundation and this once-in-a-lifetime event.