Source: Richard Whitfield / Caters News Agency
Meet Quaden Bayles and his dog Buddy. Both Bayles and his dog were born with achondroplasia, the most common form of dwarfism.
According to his mother, Bayles has always been a target of bullying, both on the streets and online. Because of the bullying Bayles became “so ashamed of his condition that family members were not allowed to say the word ‘dwarfism’ in front of him,” shared
BuzzFeed News.
However, that all changed when Bayles got Buddy.
Source: Richard Whitfield / Caters News Agency
“This has lifted his confidence so much and he is not ashamed to tell people ‘Buddy’s got dwarfism like me,’” Yarraka, Bayles’s mother, shared. “Before we couldn’t even mention the word dwarfism; now Quaden is so proud to tell everyone about himself and Buddy having the same thing.”
The pair haven’t been together that long, but they are pretty inseparable.
Source: Richard Whitfield / Caters News Agency
“They do everything together. It’s helped him accept his diagnosis and for him to understand that it’s OK to be different, and Buddy has helped him see that.”
The family has recently gone through some hard times, including the death of Bayles’ grandfather, so the dog has brought everyone some much needed happiness.
Source: Richard Whitfield / Caters News Agency
“Buddy has brought so much joy after so much grieving and so much sadness,” his mother shared. “He’s brought so much loving and joy back into the house and we just love him so much.”
Check out the
Stand Tall 4 Dwarfism Facebook page to learn more about Bayles’ condition and to spread the word about acceptance and awareness.
