World's Smallest People (Little People Documentary) | Real Stories

[Music] imagine what it's like living in a giant this world [ __ ] [ __ ] [ __ ] you're just old into the [ __ ] you have no other identity with everyday tasks beyond your reach I hook it onto my pants to push my pants down being overlooked by everyone that's it on the head that only queue and when your size is the biggest joke in town that don't have the culture to accept people who are different with them miles disabled person oh look she's over there in the school nurses you know helpless no I've got [ __ ] to do these are the stories of some of the most extraordinary people on the planet it's called a starfish man I kinda just don't have the other the other people who will never grow up seven my feet are like no manager Kenny laughing but one to live like the rest of us annually is not traditionally the kind of woman that a man might pursue you're gonna get you out of dirty we're all the same size lying down know everything [Music] [Applause] [Music] mostly smaller person to be the actual sports not just me a small press firstly I wish they pick on someone else Michael Henry is officially Britain's shortest man at a mere two foot 11 in the same height as the average three year old child [Music] everyone seems quite Prince to me I'm not for me sir makes me faint I have to run having run up on some a setting and I sit there this is normally like this while I'm a small person just does things in a different way you find mechanisms and ways and getting over hurdles and more happening because that's why they are there now I don't know one of the chairs someone like me to make a cup of tea and so many functions fine actually I'm sorry and I have a drink which none as you can appreciate right I need a drink after doing all that it's quite tiring but I wore driving at the age of 49 Michael has spent all of his life adjusting to the big world we have a shower slightly now I'm not too much he may have turned his home into a gigantic gymnasium but out and about he's had to face an even bigger set of problems [Music] fortunately for Michael modern technology has come to his rescue in the shape of his mobility scooter but there are some things that even technology can't solve [Music] Oh [Music] everyone likes damage from the stars but from the day I was born I've always been reaching for something when Michael was born they just said leave him don't take him home forget I had him I had him and I wasn't going to leave him Michael was one of a pair of twins both his parents unknowingly carried a gene giving either son a one in four chance of dwarfism his brother Malcolm grew normally but Michael wasn't so lucky I went to my secondary school I'm an agent and a half that many started nominating me you know the kids were so I like already five foot tall when I was Snell way back not to find Evan the first day the deputy head saw him she nearly had a fit because she just couldn't visualize somebody as small as that I said all long as an ass goes to grab his arms underneath his feet would go up the stairs because they had to change rooms nothing stopped him not in sight I've never been bullying in my life some other friends in the fighting class sickness the main connections quite a nice failing learning I thank you very much michael has diastrophic dysplasia a rare skeletal condition with symptoms that include short limbs and spinal curvature it means he has feet the size of a one-year-old and tiny three-inch hands that can't be properly clenched it can also cause degeneration in the joints meaning the sufferer risks losing mobility with age luckily for Michael his job at the Southampton Customs and Excise office is entirely desk-bound obviously you first meeting this is a surprise after life you know a few hours in his company you really like there he's no different to anybody else tomorrow lunch is one other gang and they don't see me as a little person I know what needed to happen you know in huntin ears because in my my outlet cats and personalities why I drew a two foot eleven Michael maybe the UK's shortest man but he is a long way from the world record today Craig glenda the editor of Guinness World Records it was on his way to meet a 19 year old who claims to be the smallest man in the world arrived here that therefore on first stage of a very long Johnny I guess to find a very small man about 6,000 miles away hopefully in place la police called for what and then in Mongolia there should be a very small man at two-and-a-half boots and deep in the grasslands of Inner Mongolia eight hours drive from Hohhot city is the home village of pimping the man that Gregg will be measuring [Music] America rhythm mom oh the bath using the back when drinking was born he wasn't big at all we just couldn't understand it he was only half a kilogram Brooker while you're applying willingness nineteen-year-old Pingping is a primordial dwarf meaning his growth retardation started at an early stage in the uterus Oh God he now weighs just 8 kilograms the same as an average one-year-old the limbs head and body are grown in the correct proportions as normal that the overall effect is of a miniaturized adult oh yeah as it was not darling you know spending so much money on medicine to help him grow but nothing worked we spend so much we were living of instant noodles but in the end we thought what's the point he didn't grow no matter what we did that's all the high Lama Bella won it's an incredibly rare condition that affects less than 1 in 10 million people as well as extreme short stature its characteristics include a high squeaky voice and the likelihood of deformities in at least some of the joints [Music] ding-dings family live a simple life as farmers with just a few cattle and chickens the house has only two rooms one whether family eat and sleep and the other a small kitchen with a simple stove basic amenities are scarce there is electricity that water has to be collected from a well the family are desperate for ping ping to get the record hoping that with fame fortune will follow allowing them to escape their life in the village she was a locator your child your toys yes those are so many blue hearts will do for economies are we clear charging from what I really hope my son can go to the outside world many people say to us why not go with your son and then you can eat good food and leaving ground the buildings you can leave this place behind and enjoy a rich and happy life I see whether there was a bowl of salsa nineteen-year-old ping ping has hardly ever left home so his family have asked their son-in-law u2n to act as his agent and minder on the trip to meet Craig in Hohhot City oh yeah there are regular I'm excited about the record because it means I can leave home and maybe even fly on a plan and this is some foreign country if this record is ratified and heating thing is the world's shortest man they could change his life and this time next year he thought would be world famous and he'll be directed all in the world on TV shows be limitless options for him I'm lucky has no but if he messes up at three foot six the world seems a tough place and being at the mercy of bullies is just part of growing up into [ __ ] videos you're just old into the [ __ ] you have no other identity so it takes on a very negative connotation 38 year old Tony Lee Davis has diastrophic dysplasia and back in her hometown in Canada that made her the butt of all the jokes there's one instance where I rode my bicycle to school and some boys threw my bicycle on the top of the school like on the roof and you know there I was up here pretty much stranded you might as well just cut my legs off while you're at it I had no way to get around I think it made me more determined to speak back and have some come back so I guess what boys teased me I thought in my head someday this will come in handy and it did come in handy [Music] Tony Lee drew on her experiences for a comedy act which is taken her all over the world [Applause] [Applause] I hear gas from people they see me waddling up and then crawling up in the chair sometimes struggling they're just like oh my girl it where they you know where you doing this so I have to disarm them as soon as I get on stage I understand most people assume I got a happy friend the best comedy comes from pain just talk about stuff I know and I get into some situations in my life so I chose are the ones I'd like to talk about yeah when she didn't talk about the whole period thing I can't wear hands on cuz it's simple with a strange ng act may not be for everyone but one man was especially impressed I had belly laugh she had so much charisma and she was funny Marty hi Berta 47 year old divorcee became a regular at her Los Angeles gigs I thought I would pay sky a big hug and you know he's a big tall one I thought you know cool whatever I mean she's a force of nature that's that's what I thought well maybe there's something something worth pursuing here we just hung out what I mean it was just so like I think we're dating because I didn't spend a weekend without [Music] can you Lee is not traditionally the kind of woman that a man might pursue but she cared about me and I cared about her over that time period things grew gradually and we're covering naturally we went out and had dinner and a couple glasses of wine next thing you know [ __ ] happens you know and smoke some pot and end up in the bathtub with dishwashing because you don't have any bubble bath that's funny the couple embarked on a whirlwind romance and after only a few months tied the knot it wasn't long after that Marty began to notice something strange there were some effects to the height that I was unaware you know wood hadn't thought of like everywhere we would go we were stared at and that took a little bit of getting used to after a while the paths are got about the height difference and nine years on the marriage is still going strong for Britain's smallest man the quest for love wasn't quite so smooth at the age of 35 Michael Henry married another little person but after three years the couple went their separate ways when we Clare haven't failed marriage behind me but it wasn't a bad split at the end but it was one of those where the nuptials wasn't there anymore not so many men she loves me not after having no luck on the dating scene Michael decided he needed to look elsewhere to find his perfect match how about at the time that and the ladies in England the relationships for whatever reason just weren't working out and I just well let's match girl fallen so Michael joined an international dating agency and was totally upfront about his stature only one woman responded Joyce philosoph in the Philippines didn't seem to mind about his height I just didn't think because he is a population is a good man you know why not a few months after their first date Mike decided to pop the question I just think it's a burner well I said yeah I think I never leave my like this why again when you're not standing up there's not a huge amount of difference regarding now you know mostly to sign an online session and not everything about me is small and today the couple will be celebrating eight years of happy marriage little token of wine up I bought you an a no questions haha now I remember why is that working a while to turn an emotional tension always the blow it thanks Mike that okay oh my pleasure my love thank you a year after the wedding came another happy event the birth of their perfectly normal-sized son Joseph now seven years old and four foot tall he towers above his dad well done show him anything you want that'll do like a pirate's life oh yeah carat hurt me I don't even that much now when she was right when properly banana I find a crystal ball I would have not been born a normal average height with no disability and I know mature and wake up with a smile on my face look at my son and it gives me I've been in a bit of smile you can imagine okay [Music] in a few days time little people from across the UK will be competing in their own mini Olympics it's the 2008 dwarf Athletics Association Games where the standard ranges from absolute beginners through to world record holders the most coveted medal of all will be for the 100-meter sprint and all eyes will be on one man 20 year old Holly Clark believe it or not you never never believe that is quite quite amazing looking at me now I mostly hear fastest log on the world as proven by a world record I got for the e 60 meters in France in 2003 running nine point three nine seconds we've done Bleen by the record I've got it up there not proof of my winning is this trophy and the world record or spangly and shiny lovely when I've got the world record in the sixty that's that's the best thing it's really satisfying to run against someone same abilities and stature and stuff [Music] the fastest little person on the planet may have the 60 meters record in the bat but will he be able to step up and shine in the 100 there's all the chance of getting the record for the hundreds but for me I'd need to bring my time down by quite a lot maybe in a second hot dog a run so someone who wants to steal all his glory this is lifelong friend 20 year old Andrew Martin this is the year for me I think Molly should be afraid I think this could be one of the closest races or one of the best races I've ever run celery Andrew trains with the big guys to push himself to the absolute limit well go over the 100 meters the normal sized sprinter can reach a top speed of 10 meters per second compared to Andrews 7 with much shorter legs he will take 75 strides instead of their 40 did only beam I won't show my face in public access and I run hike or hunt there are more than 200 types of dwarfism but Andrew and Olli both four foot six have the most common form a Kandra play here where the limbs are short in comparison to the torso which is a normal size there are few basic characteristics of the icons related conditions start with the face the oven a longer lower jaw usually no bridge to the nose the eye is a wide set apart there's a larger forehead area so I can't stake my arm one thing every person can reach done a half above the head but I can only just put hands together and some people I know can't even manage that thing just like at the hands there often there's a different curve in the back which which leads to the larger kind area so we're carrying an average size tours on average way on top on smaller legs so it's a lot more stress on our legs but in just two days time any disability will be forgotten as hundreds of little people get together to socialize and compete when you're in the average world you have to look up every time but when you go to that the games so it's your world and everyone's on your eye level and it's it's great [Music] the shopping for clothes when you're only four foot tall can be a challenge I like this way don't really like the prim Aziz our head from Iran is also going to the games to compete in the swimming events and today she's looking for something to wear for the all-important final night party it might not be long enough no it's not I really want to have the right clothes look like best or to speak events also because it might be a chance for me to find my right person that's the right it's a nice red button as you can see it's a bit too long giving with coral and still with too long having failed to find anything that fits 25 year old Ozzie now has to revert to the children's department we're just going to have a look at clip section I might place something that fits well but then I don't really want to look like as like a child but it's more clear pinky and bread one day I went to a party and four of year old Keith will bone same dress as me I didn't really like it four years ago as he left Iran where her condition had never been fully accepted but just don't have the culture to accept people as who are different with them I couldn't socialize with other people in Iran I have never seen someone like myself and didn't really know that there are some other people in this world was born with the same condition as me 7 [Music] it's why I've decided to leave the country early I think it really looks really nice if I could find a high hill and a right exercise it wouldn't know Kitty at all I'm really happy we're coming to London and meeting other little people has changed average life so if lots of people here you have the same problem as me a concrete cashpoint concrete telephone and I'm not the only one it was really amazing having got the dress she now needs high heels to complete the image but when you're a tiny size one that's a problem I'm just looking for your column full section is for high health injury wow that is my size I've just hope that they can dump on them really that's a proper part issues my first high hill ever feel like you've grown up really as the Sun rises over hohot city in Inner Mongolia it's the start of the most important day of nineteen-year-old ping pings life today he will find out if he is officially the world's shortest man so excited words meet hippy drinks the first island our breakfast I've heard that he people can be slightly temperamental that movie I suppose he's a teenager and she knows we're here to make him famous after today you'll be whilst famous for less time if you go on time thank you big thing morning tomorrow morning we're taking in photographs today my they also have seen photographs of hippie thing before but actually meet them the flash there's that initial reaction you how was just oh my god this is amazing and almost unreal the human spine tends to contract slightly through the day so ping ping will need to be measured three times over ten hours and the average taken Craig has organized the sessions to happen in the local state hospital where a team of doctors will be present to ensure an accurate reading [Music] I think he's beginning to get a sense of what might be ahead of him in terms of Fame and people stopping him industry all the time so you might as well get used to it because it's going to happen quite a lot but is that the seven hundred and thirty five-millimeter is actually much shorter than I've expected I've had around 75 and maybe 74 so that's interesting same with the first result of 2 feet 5 inches kingpins prospects for the record seem good and now with a few hours before the final measurements there's a chance for him to explore the city [Music] but how will ping ping adjust to suddenly being the biggest show in town miss point of the ocean and terrifying see all these in the feud for these spending them all the time if you're very protective towards them because we're just Trump or them any moment man if you're not looking carefully you make this squish among your food [Music] we officially measured and occupied by Guinness would completely change his life which family will realize that you may become a better cash cow that's what confidence at the stamen and missile activity initial difficulties three foot six stand-up comedienne Tony Lee Davis is back home in Las Vegas where she lives with her husband Marty I'm the king of the world where he's the best I'm treated like an absolute princess for one thing he loves me unconditionally he's extremely patient hold on hold on to me repositioning ready you know sometimes I wonder if I don't deserve him sure I guess it's just nice that you can have somebody in your life that loves you no matter what sweet but the couple face an uncertain future 38 year-old Tanya Lee has a spinal condition which is gradually paralyzing her today she's making a 250 miles trip to LA to meet a surgeon who will attempt to halt the process dr. Michael crops is one of America's leading experts in spinal surgery I feel like things are going down I'm really uncomfortable all the time sitting standing let me take a look at you can you stand up totally foreign about it Tonya Lee has spinal stenosis a debilitating arthritic condition common in diastrophic dwarfism pressed the spinal cord and trap the nerve that lead into it hi Tanya Lee Chase is one of the worst I've seen I have treated probably hundreds of little people over the last 10 to 15 years and hers is one of the most most difficult complicated that we've seen so far you've got a pretty tremendous degeneration in here if she doesn't have surgery in the next few months she most likely is going to be in a wheelchair permanently so basically what we're going to do is take the roof top off each individual vertebral body here and open up the spinal column and creating a bigger opening for the spinal cord that's a lot of levels oh gosh the worst-case scenario is if the surgery doesn't work she could be paralyzed I mean it's a it's a very risky surgery your incision is going to go from here down to the top of your pants excellent oh it's never easy with my body I try I don't know I think I've done pretty well so far but it always seems like there's something else popping up Tonya says we should have a will made up and that's scary and I guess we should do something like that but I don't think it's going to come to that so okay alright so you okay we'll talk to the nurse if the case is that she will be paralyzed from the chest down then that's just something we'll deal with and we'll get by we're doing it Michael Henry Britain's shortest man also has potential health worries mostly caused by him being overweight enjoy judgment in your pain am i your man Shawn remember my whining dad to have a normal lifespan Michael the two foot eleven should be consuming only 750 calories a day a third of an average man's intake but over the years he's been getting through double that and has ballooned from four stone to nearly eight I suppose because of my stature I shall need more child portions but I honestly believe it is the lack of movement now I have in mobility that causes the weight problem oh oh well shot a little bit envious that I couldn't do the things that he's doing and fact I can't participate with my own son and his activities well no no it's a nice life when you're hopping on Boy luckiness there's a lot people much worse off than I am you know so that's nice Oh Jessie yeah you are my ping beams health is also a concern primordial dwarves rarely live much past the age of 30 and pimping isn't exactly helping his situation [Applause] [Music] he's even insisted that before the final measurements his brother-in-law should take him to stock up on his favourite brands of cigarettes [Music] Pingping is a heavy smoker and during this trip he's been getting through up to 30 cigarettes a day I'm not sure I totally agree with the smoking yeah I think they found of all cigarettes in the world I smoked in China and then he's doing his spit laughing sorry yeah we're on 74 so it was mighty of getting shot at during the day he's actually got taller that's why we did a few measurements I guess over the course of today we've come up with a total average of seven hundred and forty six point one millimeters which is a new Guinness World Record so the person's the world's shortest man is a mere two foot five it's the news the crowd have been waiting to hear the beginning of a long strange or for him and that's what comes into being all shot this man is a superstar [Music] in just a few hours Pingping will return to his village as a hero but if all goes to plan there's every chance he'll be taking his family back to the big city with him very soon [Music] it's the opening day of the dwarf Athletics Association games over the next 48 hours more than a hundred little athletes will do back in the main stars of the show will be Andrew Martin and the fastest little person on the planet Holly Clark he's want to do well today to give it here in 30 Randy want they wonder well for them so my people as well we mean business we're not here to muck about we're here to be serious serious - oh yeah it's a good thing as a buzz as opposed to just being back there's a warm feeling at the swimming pool Ozzy is moments away from the event she's been training for the 25 meters breaststroke I'm very excited and a bit nervous and my race is the next one it started I was so fascinating association through my friends it was a new world it was the it was in your life I was the first of it when I found someone who was same as me and that was amazing that was just [Applause] [Applause] ageless cream please as we look on training for I'm feeling really happy I'm feeling really confident now and I don't have the depression that we used to have but I came to this country because of the bad experience that I had in my country [Applause] back on the track it's the men's 100 meters Andy has been training all year to take all his clown and this could be his moment Ali's got out to a blistering staff while Andrews struggling to make up the ground Ollie takes gold and Andrew server it will make things very much hopefully out on the day it's a bit gut-wrenching when you've been working hours or so many months and he pull something out like that looks like but now I'm pleased I'm down I'm standard I've done in 16.2 which is a bit slow really I thought was hoping for a 15 so a 16 point sees a bit disappointing but I'm still the fastest fastest in the world at the the 60 metres sort of odd record for that has an American as far as I know and Dungey meters got a bit of work to do on that got a couple seconds to scrub off but I'm still fastest race times in Britain like always for April my short stature is facing daily problems against other people's and there's a concept other than the use of them so you've got a set amount of pride to be able to just walk on by and ignore people to say would you want to be to one layer flow around that was I was every time I probably won't even be doing sport [Music] [Applause] [Music] Mike you've got my wallet I need my ID in our mouth park in Los Angeles it's the day that Marty and Tanya Lee have been dreading this morning she will face a six-hour operation to try to hold her paralysis I'm just kind of trying not to get too emotional about it and keep my head together just plan on waking up in a couple hours so I feel like a deer in the headlights you know you you uh you know this coming you know and right now is the moments here and it's just like you know shock you know use [Music] okay in smoke enough good sweet all right love you surgery on the little person is complicated by their size for Tanya Lee three foot six the amount of anesthetic required is the same dose given to a child you basically are doing a large person surgery and a person that is half the size how much surgery can she get away with we're going to be watching her neurological says with file monitoring throughout the procedure and if at any time during the case there's any kind of a loss in her spinal function we'll be able to see that and we'll stop the procedure I have all the faith and the doctors but now they're just doctors so they can do what they can do if something takes a bad turn it'll take a bad turn it's emotionally difficult but but I'm getting fine Tonya Lee's six-hour operation is drawing to a close and for Marty the agonizing wait will soon be over she has this positive attitude and something rotten happens to her she's convinced it's going to turn into something good and it does maybe that's something she's also learned as she's grown up maybe maybe this will also turn out well I hope so the most nervous time is in the recovery room when you're watching them wake up and make sure they're moving you know both extremities I mean that's that's when you know you get a home run or not hi Marty I feel really tired oh it's a long day have a seat Thanks everything's well doing well Tanya's doing great she's in a recovery room really pretty sleepy but she's moving your toes and every time or so it's good okay terrific yeah thanks very much I'll see you like you'll see you first thing in the morning okay okay Tanya Lee is out of immediate danger but the next 48 hours will show if the operation has been a success [Music] try to stand do you want me to come over there once you see them yeah actually I can come over here now yeah two days on and incredibly Tanya Lee is about to make an attempt at walking and keep your eyes open just so I know that you're not busy at all I'm just going to hold on to you and we have the Walker as well perfect right yeah oh yeah excellent perfect look at her girl okay okay let's go back at least some movement and obviously I'm still gone feeling in my legs foot see her walk as quickly as she did that was confirmation that the surgery was successful congratulations every time if the doctors say that she's going to recover in six months give her give her three months she'll be back out there just just to prove one wall [Music] in Birmingham it's the end of the dwarf athletics weekend and time for the final night disco it's nice because we don't get hassled from the average world where you get people stopping and staring and pointing and hit you're out sometimes they like a nightclub or something you get some attention of an appetite women but it's only because I think you like your suit yes we get more adorable normally never acting on the hair thank you as he's got her new dress on and is hoping to meet her mr. right what it ideal man jobs don't want to be taller than me then I can just hold their hands actually and I can dance with them I can have eye contact kiss them whenever I want and the plan seems to be working as he has caught the eye of Stamkos from Belgium lovely it's just a nice skill and we are both quite interesting to talk with we'll see what happens we'll see what the future [Music] in Las Vegas Tonya Lee is back at home recuperating and is hoping to be back doing stand-up by the end of the year [Music] with the launch of the latest Guinness World Records book Pingping is about to find out what global fame feels like but in the meantime he's enjoying what's likely to be the last bit of calm before the media storm [Music] one night - Michael who's turning 50 this year has started a new health regime and is continuing to look on the bright side of life Thanks nine there we go done I'm assuming we've all been fussing at once me having a chicken when Sean Donnelly listen about what I haven't got where will it get me a knife I seriously don't think it took me anywhere am I possibly make the most concern I handed down with really alas Nia exercise was like thank you Thank You Joseph [Music]

Channel: Real Stories

Views: 4,861,084

Rating: 4.7649946 out of 5

Keywords: Extraordinary people, Amazing Stories, 2017 documentary, Documentaries, worlds smallest person, BBC Three, little people, dwarf olympics, amazing people, TV Shows - Topic, guiness world record, he pingping, BBC Three documentary, primordial dwarf, world's smallest people, Full length Documentaries, BBC documentary, Amazing Documentaries, smallest people, Documentary Movies - Topic, timeline, Channel 4 documentary, Real Stories, world's smallest man, BBC 3, Documentary

Id: F7jSrKZ2WYw

Length: 46min 8sec (2768 seconds)

Published: Fri Jul 28 2017