Many married couples are familiar with being asked when they plan to have children, but for Charli Worgan and her husband Cullen, the question was often “why” instead.
The couple, who live in Sydney, both have different forms of dwarfism and often face public judgment, especially after Charli became pregnant with their first child. After welcoming their first daughter, Charli decided to start a social media account to give people a glimpse into their family life and raise awareness. To her surprise, the account quickly gained popularity.
Today, Charli and Cullen have two lovely daughters, and Charli’s Instagram has grown to over 300,000 followers. Recently, Charli announced that she was expecting her third child, though the announcement came with mixed emotions.
Due to their genetic conditions, each pregnancy carries risks. Their children could inherit Charli’s type of dwarfism, Cullen’s, be born of average height, or inherit both forms — a combination known as “double dominant dwarfism,” which doctors consider fatal. Because of these possibilities, Charli has had to undergo challenging genetic testing with every pregnancy.
At 12 weeks into her third pregnancy, instead of celebrating like many expectant mothers, Charli underwent Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS) — a procedure involving a large needle inserted into her abdomen to collect placental tissue, which carries a 2% risk of miscarriage — to determine the baby’s genetic makeup.
Charli explained the four possible outcomes:
1. The baby could be of average height.
2. The baby could have Achondroplasia, like Charli.
3. The baby could have Geleophysic Dysplasia, like Cullen.
4. The baby could inherit both conditions, which would likely be fatal, leaving Charli with the difficult decision of whether to continue the pregnancy.
She shared the emotional toll of waiting to learn whether she could bring the baby into the world or if the journey would end there.
Opening up publicly about her journey has led to both support and criticism. Charli addressed this criticism, saying that while some question her decision to have children given the risks, her story shows how complex and thoughtful those decisions truly are. She emphasized the importance of kindness.
Thankfully, Charli and Cullen are now parents to three thriving children. Their youngest, a baby boy named Rip, was born in late February. Charli posted a heartfelt message alongside a photo of her newborn, reminding parents that while motherhood doesn’t have one “correct” way, there’s no wrong way either.
Through her story, Charli demonstrates that despite unique challenges, parenting is a universal experience filled with both hardships and joy that many can relate to.