<p>A little girl who with an extremely rare form of dwarfism is only 2ft 5in tall - but her parents said her smile helps them through their hardest days.<br></p><p>Meet the little girl who will never grow up due to an extremely rare form of dwarfism which means she currently cannot talk, walk, or eat independently - but whose parents say she 'loves life' and 'lives every moment to the fullest'. </p><p>At just 2ft 5ins, Emma Gore, four, was born with Meier-Gorlin Syndrome - a rare type of primordial dwarfism that affects only 67 people in the world - a condition which is characterised by absent or small kneecaps and short stature. </p><p>Emma was also born with tracheobronchomalacia, or ‘floppy airways’, which means her windpipe is soft and frequently collapses, and Congenital Genu Recurvatum which involves ‘backward-bending knees'. </p><p>But despite her conditions, Emma refuses to be held back and embraces life, and her parents Rachel, 34, and Michael, 33, a creative director, say she is a ‘bubbly’ and ‘happy little girl’ who ‘just loves life'. </p><p>Emma is fed through a gastrostomy tube in which food is directed straight to her stomach each day and her breathing is supported by a ventilator and oxygen tanks.</p><p>But that doesn’t stop Rachel from ensuring that her daughter experiences as much as other children her age - as Emma is taken to the zoo, to the beach, and on holiday as much as possible.</p><p>Stay-at-home and mum-of-one Rachel, from Bradenton, Florida, USA, said: “Emma is an amazing little girl and she doesn't let her dwarfism hold her back.</p><p>"She might be small but what she lacks in size she more than makes up for in personality. </p><p>“She’s very silly and is always finding something to do that keeps her entertained and makes us laugh.</p><p>"We try to be as normal as any other family.</p><p>“I really like taking Emma out to places because I want her to have those experiences whether it’s the zoo or the beach.</p><p>“We get out and go for walks, that’s something we love doing. </p><p>“We put Emma in the stroller, and she loves the fresh air. </p><p>“It’s really cute, even when we’re outside and the wind is blowing, she’ll put her hands up and feel the wind. </p><p>"She loves life and makes the most of every day." </p><p>Rachel says she feels inspired by her daughter’s attitude to life because even the ‘small stuff’ makes her happy.</p><p>She said: “It’s so easy to complain about things but then you look at her and she’s just so happy and I’m amazed.</p><p>“She’s gone through so much but she’s always laughing and making us laugh.”</p><p>Emma’s dad, Michael, added: “Emma’s very bubbly and she’s a very happy girl. </p><p>“Very rarely do I see her unhappy and she’s always very upbeat and energetic. She just loves life.” </p><p>Rachel was delighted to discover she was pregnant in October 2016, having miscarried only six months before.</p><p>But at the end of her second trimester, doctors soon discovered there was a problem with Rachel’s pregnancy. </p><p>In May 2017, Rachel went for her 31-week scan, but it showed her baby to be measuring five inches smaller than what is deemed normal.</p><p>She spent six days in hospital undergoing intense ultrasounds and tests.</p><p>Rachel said: “I was crying constantly and just worried she was going to die.</p><p>“No-one was thinking about dwarfism because none of our parents have it.”</p><p>On May 18th 2017, Rachel and Michael were told by doctors that Emma would likely be stillborn. </p><p>“They just kept saying she would not be compatible with life”, Rachel recalled.</p><p>“I just remember them repeating that.” </p><p>But on 12th June, the day after Rachel's 30th birthday, Emma was born via c-section weighing a tiny 3lbs 3ozs, and after some genetic tests, she was diagnosed as having primordial dwarfism. </p><p>She was immediately taken to the hospital’s NICU where she spent six months before flying to Michigan Children’s Hospital to undergo life-saving surgery to treat her tracheobronchomalacia which caused her airways to collapse.</p><p>Rachel said: “Before the surgery, anytime she would cry, she would try to take too many breaths and pass out.</p><p>“She couldn’t get any air.”</p><p>Emma underwent trial respiratory therapies in which 3D-printed splints were inserted into her chest to hold open her airways, before dissolving into her body. </p><p>Rachel said: “We had Emma’s first Christmas in the hospital.</p><p>“It was really successful, and the surgery saved her life.</p><p>“We honestly believe she would not have survived had it not been for her doctor, Dr Glen Green.”</p><p>On April 30th 2018, after 323 days in hospital, Emma returned to Orlando, Florida, USA, and settled into life at home.</p><p>But now aged four, the tot can still only breathe through a tube and has a trake down her throat at all times and has to feed through a
