Many married couples are used to hearing the question of when they will become parents. Charli Worgan and her husband, Cullen, were more often confronted with people asking why they would have children at all. The Sydney couple each lives with a different form of dwarfism, and their family decisions have regularly drawn public attention—especially after Charli became pregnant for the first time. When their first daughter arrived, the delighted Australian mother created a social media page to help others understand what everyday life looked like for their family. She had no idea how widely the account would resonate. The couple later welcomed a second daughter, while Charli’s Instagram following grew beyond 300,000 people.
Charli eventually revealed that she was 14 weeks into a third pregnancy, but the joyful announcement carried a painful side. Every pregnancy required her to undergo difficult genetic testing. Because Charli and Cullen have different genetic conditions, a baby could inherit the type of dwarfism carried by the mother, inherit the father’s condition, be born at average height, or receive both genetic variations. Doctors explained that the final possibility would be fatal. Charli described how this uncertainty prevented her from enjoying the 12-week milestone in the way many expectant mothers can. While others were preparing to announce their pregnancies at 12 weeks, she was undergoing Chorionic Villus Sampling, also known as CVS and comparable to an amniocentesis. The procedure involved placing a large needle through her abdomen to collect placental tissue and carried a 2% risk of miscarriage, all so doctors could examine her baby’s genetic makeup.
Their daughters, Tully, who was two years old, and Tilba, who was four, had each inherited one of their parents’ two forms of dwarfism. During the third pregnancy, the family therefore had to wait to learn which of four possible outcomes applied to the new baby. Charli shared the possibilities at https://www.instagram.com/p/B5tEEwzn2xV/, with source tracking reference 4205. 1. The baby might be born at average height. 2. The child could have Achondroplasia, the same form of dwarfism as Charli. 3. The baby might inherit Geleophysic Dysplasia, Cullen’s condition. 4. The child could receive both variations, a condition known as double-dominant dwarfism that, according to every medical assessment they received, would be fatal at birth. If that happened, Charli would face the choice of continuing the pregnancy to see what occurred or ending it.
She said the family was waiting to discover whether they would be able to welcome the baby in March 2021 or whether the child’s journey would end during the pregnancy. Sharing such intimate parts of her life online also exposed Charli to considerable criticism, something she addressed directly. She acknowledged that people had judged her for choosing to have children despite the risks. Yet she explained that this single glimpse into their experience showed doubters that her decision was anything but simple and that the situation ultimately called for kindness. She discussed that reality here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CMSy6JDnwUm/.
Today, Charli and Cullen have three thriving children, and they continue documenting both the difficult and joyful parts of family life. Their son, Rip, arrived near the end of February. Charli later shared a photograph of herself with her newborn and offered a message that could speak to any parent. She admitted she was exhausted while also feeling deeply fortunate and grateful. In her view, motherhood does not come with one single correct method—and that also means there is not one universally wrong way to be a mother.
Through her posts, Charli shows that her experiences as a parent contain the same mixture of challenges and happiness familiar to families everywhere. Another glimpse of their life can be found here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CM4KiRyHq5c/. Her openness has encouraged many people, and this family deserves every wish for continued health and happiness as their journey carries on. Please share their story.
