Hi friends! I’m Chandler, welcome to my little space of the internet 🙂
If you’re new here – I have been sharing all of the twists and turns of my life on the internet since 2010 via my Facebook page, documenting my experience through corrective orthopedic surgeries from having achondroplasia.
In my 25 years, I have gained thick skin, quick wit, and an extra foot. I like coffee at midnight, using an unnecessary amount of hashtags on my Instagram, and most recently frequent visits to the barre. I love to travel the world and experiencing all of its beautiful sights while standing just shy of 5 feet with my hair in a bun & iced coffee in hand.
Here on my site, I share my ‘life after lengthening’ from blood, sweat, tears, laughter and everything else in between. Hope to see you around!
socials: Facebook/ Instagram / Twitter
For inquiries, contact me here or send me an email: chancrewsofficial@gmail.com
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Life after lengthening ~
I was born with the most common form of dwarfism, achondroplasia. In summer 2010 I had orthopedic surgery to correct my lower limb deformities (bowed legs) that are very common with achondroplasia. I straightened and lengthened my legs. It was months of twists and turns – literally! + a little blood, sweat, and tears.
I have been very open with my experience since the beginning. Limb lengthening is a taboo topic in the dwarfism community and at the time of my first surgery, information on the procedure was outdated and no one with dwarfism had shared their experience since the 90s.
In addition to my first surgery, I went on to have two more lengthening procedures. I lengthened my arms (humerus) and legs again this time with a new modern, and less invasive method of limb lengthening where a telescoping rod is inserted into the bone.
From my first surgery to my last I have gained over 14 inches in height. Starting at age 16 I was at my adult height of 3’10” and today I am 4’11.” I also gained 4 inches of arm length in each of my humeri.
– interactive before & after gallery –
– Little More –
Born in Little Rock, Arkansas Chandler Crews grew up – literally – in America’s own Charm City. In summer 2010 Chandler went to the Rubin Institute for Advanced Orthopedics (RIAO) at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland where she had surgery at the institute’s International Center for Limb Lengthening (ICLL). While spending months in Baltimore doing daily physical therapy, Chandler created a Facebook page to keep her friends and family updated as well as sharing her experience with anyone who could relate. After her surgery in 2010, Chandler went on to lengthen her arms in 2011 and legs again in 2013 with the PRECICE method pioneered by her surgeon, Shawn Standard.
Chandler developed a passion for social media and writing after documenting her experience. In 2015 she began working for GrowingStronger.org as their social media manager. One of her tasks included recruiting world-renowned medical professionals specialized in dwarfism for their web series, LP Doc Talk. She represented the organization at the 2017 Little People of America (LPA) National Conference in Denver, Colorado where she hosted a workshop on social media strategy.
In 2016, Chandler traveled with RIAO on their annual medical mission trip to CURE Hospital the Dominican Republic. She documented the week-long trip on social media for donors of RIAO’s Save-A-Limb Fund to act as ‘virtual team members.’
In addition to social media, Chandler has a background in public speaking ranging from middle and high school classrooms to most recently the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. She has also been featured in multiple news media outlets nationwide – KATV Little Rock, The Baltimore Sun, and NBC San Diego. Click here for more.
Today, Chandler is serving her last term as the District 7 Director of Little People of America where she oversees the chapters in Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri. She is a graduate of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences where she earned her Associate of Science in Surgical Technology. She is continuing her education through online courses at UA Little Rock. Taking online classes gives her the ability and free range to travel and take on given opportunities while completing her Bachelor of Arts in Applied Communication.
Though Little Rock will always be her home, Chandler is looking to move to a bigger city with more opportunities where she can apply her unique experience, skills, and knowledge in a medical setting.
For business and media inquiries you can email Chandler at chancrewsofficial@gmail.com or here.