Since early childhood, Erick Carstensen, 14, has suffered because of his stature: he is a victim of hereditary dwarfism. Brick's contemporaries, who generally towered over him, excluded him from their games. Teachers were often equally unsympathetic, calling him "Shorty" and browbeating him for his inability to keep up with his classmates in physical education. Even the doctors consulted by his parents provided little in the way of relief. According to Erick's mother, Mrs. Dorothy Carstensen of Los Angeles: "They'd all say the same thing: 'Don't worry about it. He'll shoot up overnight.' "...
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