A cure for “Achondrophobia” | Ethan Crough | TEDxBloomington

Educator Ethan Crough presents a case that the acceptance of differences, like the dwarfism he was born with, is one of the keys to preserving diversity in humanity as we know it. He says too many people are unaware and afraid of talking about differences - making them easier to get rid of through gene editing in the future. Instead of seeing dwarfism as a detriment, he challenges us to start seeing the innovation and creativity that come with all of our differences and how they are key to humanity’s progress. In this moving talk, he urges us to see differences differently so we have a chance to save ourselves. -Live recording and post-production of this talk was done by Jon Stante Video Developer and Creator.- Ethan Crough is a middle school technology education teacher where his students learn everything from how to build a nest box for birds to how to leave a good voicemail. His diverse work background includes being an executive director and board member for nonprofit organizations, environmental educator, National Park guide, and improvisational actor. The first time he remembers engaging a crowd was while watching concrete being poured at his family’s apartment building in Princeton, New Jersey when he was six. He still enjoys talking to complete strangers and loves seeing connections being made that make great stories. Ethan is an avid outdoorsman and has been to over half of the national parks in the United States. He loves traveling, playing games and sports, and eating great food with his wife and two kids. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx

[@josiahdyer5998]

Yo this is my Tec Ed teacher. Congratulations 👏👏

[@InformationIsTheEdge]

I dig Ethan's style! A potent orator and very charismatic.

[@mattproctor3113]

Thank you for this video, me and my wife just had a child born with achondroplasia and it's been a roller coaster of thoughts and wondering what to expect. Thank you so much.

[@patreenraybuck4347]

We need more people like Ethan to speak on dwarfism!!! I am a proud dwarf and accept my diversity in the human race. God made me special!!!

[@theworldaccordingtomaya]

❤🫂

[@keithweedman5506]

Wow Ethan! Thank you for sharing your powerful message. You have stimulated my thinking about how diversity enriches humanity.

[@croughonthecourse]

Thank you, Keith! I appreciate your note. It was a message that I have been working on for a long time. I am grateful that it got you thinking. Thank you for sharing this message with your spheres of influence. I look forward to sharing this message again!

[@itouchtheskyslowlifeitaly]

Thank you so much for talking of this argument. You're a lovely man. A great person! You make me in a good mood here on the top of the mountain of Italy.

[@croughonthecourse]

Prego! I'm glad you liked the talk and I appreciate your note and compliments. I would be in a good mood as well there on the top of a mountain in Italy. I love the mountains! Please feel free to share my message with Italy so more people can hear it. Thank you!

[@carolinasboobear]

Thank you! This is an awesome lecture about us, as an achondroplasia community.

[@croughonthecourse]

You're welcome, Suzanne! I'm glad you like the talk. Please share it with other so more people can learn about our achondroplasia community. Thank you!

[@sarahdas875]

Thank you Ethan, I love your video. I have shared it with many dear people in my life. My son is 2 1/2 years old with achondroplasia. He is a powerful force of love and learning already, and I too believe that folks with dwarfism have potent potential to remedy the fear that has consumed society. I know he will have a certain kind of resiliency and strength to lead with an open heart. Thank you for your exquisite research!

[@jenniferp347]

Brilliant talk! The algorithm gave me a video about a kid getting the shots to make him not a dwarf. The ableism was so strong I couldn't keep watching it. All the "suffering" from achondroplasia and the parents who were so sad to have a baby inflicted with it (maybe because the doctors delivered it like a death sentence...). I turned it off and then this one popped up. So wonderful! We are all valuable and none of our differences should becomes extinct.

[@davel3616]

Great to see you here, Ethan! Awesome talk. Thank you for sharing.

[@dreamthoth]

I can't think of anything worse than everyone being the same height and size. Diversity is truly important and it's wonderful that he is advocating for himself. 🎉 Celebrate diversity!

[@pringlesthegoose1702]

This man is so openminded

[@croughonthecourse]

Thank you! Please feel free to share my talk with others. I appreciate your note.

[@pringlesthegoose1702]

@@croughonthecourse of course! i will share this talk with as many people as i can!

[@sonjabryant2567]

You are truly a good speaker and your right on everything you discussed

[@kspzbishop]

Great job Ethan! This was so inspiring to watch!! :)

[@nikababy8112]

I always felt like people with birth differences were put here to teach humanity. We learn so much. We learn how to overly love from Down syndrome, we learn how to substitute and reach for more in life through our little people and we learn how important senses are through the deaf an non verbal. Every difference teaches us more about life and without those beautiful differences we wouldn’t be advancing as a civilization because we wouldn’t have anything to adjust to or to evolve from! I had a niece with down’s and she brought so much love and happiness around!

[@torristamps9711]

I twins boy and girl now 9 months, my girl twin has achondroplasia, and even though I’ve always thought little people were the cutest ever! I never thought in a millions years that I would. And even thought I love it I just want my baby girl to embrace it head on and be proud….. I make sure I tell her everyday how perfect she is just the way the most high made her

[@LittlMRBIG]

So very well stated. Thanks Ethan!

[@croughonthecourse]

Thank you! I'm glad you liked it and appreciate your note.

[@Sofiyas_Take]

Thank you for your message Ethan. Dwarfism is a resource to humanity. Diversity matters!!! Fear is detrimental to our human society. We need to push past fear and embrace each other for the beautiful different beings that we all are. Brava!

[@croughonthecourse]

You're welcome, Sofiya! I agree that dwarfism is a resource and that diversity matters very much. I hope that we can get over the fear and stigma of differences to help us innovate and create positive change. Please feel free to share my talk with others. I appreciate your note!

[@Amethyst_Dragon_]

What a excellent speaker...

[@shoshannafachima1306]

This was an outstanding talk Bravo.ethan crough👏👏👏

[@Leviwosc]

Great speaker and I like his conclusion at the end of his talk.

[@AntBlair]

Great informative talk! Thank you.

[@croughonthecourse]

Thank you, Ant! I appreciate your note and hope that you can share it with others!

[@mlcons6012]

Fantastic speech. Thank you Ethan from a diastrophic to an achon, this applies to all of us. - Leticia

[@croughonthecourse]

Thank you, Leticia! I agree. This message applies to all of us. Please feel free to share my talk with others. I appreciate your note.

[@mlcons6012]

@@croughonthecourse will do Ethan. Idk if you remember me but we met way back in Dallas 91 I think. - Leticia Murillo

[@erinhawkins5950]

Ethan, you have challenged my thinking, which is one of the highest compliments I can give. Great talk.

[@croughonthecourse]

Erin, that's great to hear. I love challenging people's thinking! I appreciate your note and I am glad that you liked the talk. Please feel free to share my talk so that it can challenge other people's thinking as well!

[@lilibetmargaret]

Ethan.. You said something that was more profound than people might think. The idea of losing talent and genius and knowledge that nobody knows exists. When you spoke of the social and gregarious nature of achondroplasia, I thought immediately of the diplomatic service and the ability to change another person's mind. Perhaps, a healthy dose of naturally social and diplomatic people who happen to have achondroplasia, are just what the doctor ordered. We don't know because we haven't tried. Fascinating talk.. I see something different through my 70-year-old eyes! Knowledge is power!!

[@gmg9010]

As someone with Spinabifida I love having it sure there are problems sometimes but for the most part I love it. Especially when people especially kids ask what I have and the parents will tell them not too be rude and I’ll be like no I want them too know what I have and how I live my life with it so they don’t have to wonder.

[@deplant5998]

With respect: Great talk and I understand his points about ableism... eg we should accept the sign language community as a cultural group, accept aspergers/ autism vs neurotypicals. We should accept and cherish ALL PEOPLE. 1. Does that mean that we should not research treatments for these conditions? As a side note i think he is really diminishing the SEVERE health problems that people with achondroplasia have. 2. Why does this one man claim to speak for all people with achondroplasia? 3. Does he Speak for all parents who want the best health for their children? 4. Do we honestly think that a cure for blindness is unethical as it might lead to the ‘extinction’ of braillist literature and culture? I think if i was blind due to some inherented disorder i would have done anything to ensure i did not pass this on to my offspring.

[@deplant5998]

Achondroplasia is not a benign condition. 10 times risk cardiovascular death and -10yrs life expectancy... not including all the orthopaedic issues which often causes spinal cord compression. Mortality in achondroplasia study: a 42-year follow-up Julia Wynn et al. Am J Med Genet A. 2007. Show details Full text links Cite Abstract Achondroplasia (ACH) is the most common dwarfing condition having a prevalence of 1/25,000 live births. An increase in overall mortality, age specific mortality up to age 34 years and heart disease-related mortality was first reported in a 1987 study of a large population of ACH individuals. Since this study, concern about premature death, particularly in young adults, has persisted in the ACH population. The present study was undertaken to follow-up the patterns of mortality in a more contemporaneous ACH population. The vital status of 718 ACH individuals from the original study and 75 new ACH individuals was determined through the search of two computerized mortality database. The results showed that the overall mortality and age-specific mortality at all ages remained significantly increased. Rates of death were similar across all 42 years of follow-up suggesting that higher death rates were still occurring in the contemporary ACH population. Accidental, neurological, and heart disease-related deaths were increased in adults. Heart disease-related mortality, between ages 25 and 35, was more than 10 times higher than the general population. Overall survival and the average life expectancy for this ACH population were decreased by 10 years. These results demonstrate that despite advances in the knowledge of the natural history of ACH and health care needs of this population, mortality remains significantly increased. The high rate of heart disease related deaths illustrates the need to identify risk factors in the ACH population and develop treatment interventions accordingly.

[@robertgriggs1934]

That’s my teacher

[@deplant5998]

If his spouse has same fgf mutation, then 25% of offspring will die in utero or shortly after birth. Chilling. These babies slowly asphyxiate as rib cages are undeveloped. How can this be ethically “good” or moral. Now- if they had preimplantation diagnosis that would make sense to me. They could chose to implant either a heterozygote or a child without achondroplasia. Probably doing this with surrogacy would be the safest for the mother and the child’s health?

[@therealz360z7]

My husband is 6"2 and his best friend in highschool was a dwarf he said he never noticed.

[@chrisvansickle7959]

Mr. Crough, what is achrondonphobia?

[@oppenheimer20]

A newly coined term, meaning the fear of Achondroplasia, which is the specific type of dwarfism about which he spoke.

[@chrisvansickle7959]

@@oppenheimer20 it was a joke because he was one of my middle school teachers

[@ghirardellichocolate201]

Balsamic Vinegar with salads for postures.

[@libralewMFB]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@metsrus]

In the future, everyone will be tall, beautiful, and athletic. Unfortunately that will be one of the most boring state of humanity ever because of its homogeneity. How do you appreciate beauty when everyone has it? Do you assign it elsewhere?

[@cbboyle5117]

I don’t understand the “jokes” about his parents’ questions. Made no sense and a little bit hurtful towards his parents!

[@croughonthecourse]

My humor is certainly not for everyone. Maybe you'll like my next talk more! I added the "jokes" about my parents questions to include a bit of humor and levity. It was a very challenging time for them. My mom was okay with the talk when she heard it just so you know she wasn't hurt. Thanks for your concern!

[@cbboyle5117]

I’m glad to hear she wasn’t hurt. Everyone has a different idea of what’s funny. I think the worst “humors” are sarcasm, insults, put downs and making fun of others. They always make me tune out, turn off or walk away.

[@lastcall8286]

Brad Williams is usually funny, but is was not