Nathan Macfarlane (16) form Bethal needs operation to change his way of life

BETHAL – Nathan Macfarlane (16) was born with dwarfism.

Being born with dwarfism makes life challenging for him.

Dwarfism is defined as unusually or abnormally low stature or small size.

Nathan might be shorter than his class mates, but he has a big spirit and his circumstances does not hold him back from following his dreams.

At first sight, he seems like a normal boy, but when you look closer, you can see signs of dwarfism.

“I love to cook and bake. I love to watch Cake Boss and want to learn how to decorate cakes.

“My dream is to study and work in America. I want to become a culinary chef and maybe even own a restaurant one day.”

He is a fan of Portuguese food and wants to visit a Portuguese restaurant and see what they do in the kitchen.

His parents describe him as someone with a soft heart.

Mr William Macfarlane, Nathans’ father, said that his son loves to help others.

“When he sees someone who needs help, he will go out of his way to help that person. He does very well at school, especially academically. He also loves animals and to play with our dogs.”

Although he has accepted himself, he would like to make changes so that he can live up to his full potential.

“Sometimes I want to get rid of the things that bother me. My left arm bothers me the most,” said Nathan.

Dwarfism caused his arm to grow in a deformed way and shape.

Thís arm appears different from the right arm.

“It causes a lot of pain and the kids always tease me. I do not want to take my jacket off at school, because then all the kids can see my deformed arm,” said Nathan while keeping his head down.

An operation to his right arm might be the answer, but he first has to see a specialist.

“We can not afford a medical aid and that is why I have not had an operation yet.”

Bullies are a big concern even though he tries to ignore them.

He listens to music when he had a bad day, because it makes him feel better.

Singing in the school choir and taking part in the eisteddfod brings him much joy.

His mother, Ms Lucia Macfarlane, said they treat him as any other child.

“We are a close family and despite all the challenges, we stick together and motivate each other. Nathan has some issues, like reaching for the cupboard or wanting to take something off a shelve, but we work around that. If he can have the operation, his quality of life will be so much better.”

Nathan’s message to others is: “Do not give up believing in yourself. Don’t listen to the bad things other people tell you.”

If you can help Nathan, contact Ms Lucia Macfarlane at 066 071 6398.