Hays ? After a lifetime of being seen as different, Vickie Doyle is looking to bring together people who see themselves as the same.

Doyle, who is 4 feet tall, is organizing a Kansas chapter of Little People of America, an organization for people 4-foot-10 or under who have one of the more than 200 different forms of dwarfism.

Doyle, an independent living counselor for Living Independently in Northwest Kansas, said the nearest chapter was in Kansas City, Mo. A chapter in western Kansas would make it easier for people in this part of the state to connect with others who face the same — or other — challenges, she said.

It’s a wish she understands.

Doyle grew up in Jamestown, then graduated from Cloud County Community College. From there, she went to Emporia State University to earn a degree in rehabilitation services and education.

Forms of dwarfism

She went to work at Independent Connections, an agency similar to LINK, then came to northwest Kansas 12 years ago.

She doesn’t know what specific form of dwarfism she has, but she’s working on that.

“I’ve never been professionally diagnosed,” Doyle said.

Vickie Doyle takes her dog, Pappy, out of his pet porter for a walk at her home in Ellis. Doyle, who is 4 feet tall, is organizing a Kansas chapter of Little People of America, an organization for people 4-foot-10 or under who have one of the more than 200 different forms of dwarfism.

While at the 2003 national convention of the Little People of America June 27 to July 5 in Boston, Doyle saw a physician there who specializes in diagnosing forms of dwarfism. That physician agreed to identify which form Doyle has, but there are a few hoops to jump through first.

“She requested I get a whole new set of X-rays done,” Doyle said.

Doyle said the idea in organizing a chapter was so people would be able to come together and identify with others who face issues related to having short statures.

Some of those issues are medical, Doyle said. It can be helpful to know what to expect.

Each type of dwarfism presents a different set of medical issues, Doyle said.

For example, some types of dwarfism tend to cause heart problems. Some cause brittleness of the bones. Some cause a tendency to develop cataracts. A lot of forms cause back problems.

Doyle has a severe form of scoliosis, a curving of the spine, which became life-threatening before she turned 10.

At ages 9 and 12, Doyle underwent surgery to prevent her scoliosis from progressing further. Often, surgeons affix a metal rod to the patient’s spine. Doyle’s bones were too small to use a rod. Surgeons instead fused the bones of her spine to one another.

“I don’t go to the doctor for it anymore, thank goodness. I don’t have any back pain,” she said, knocking on the table as she spoke. “So, I consider myself pretty lucky.”

Social issues

Trips to the store aren’t the same for people whose reach is shorter than the top rows of merchandise.

She also uses a walker to make getting around easier, and the van she drives is modified so she can reach the controls.

And there are social issues related to being of short stature, Doyle said.

“I would say the typical day-to-day things, like employment and how society perceives us. I guess the issues are about the same as anybody would face with any other kind of disability, because you’re different,” Doyle said.

She joined Little People of America in 1987 but didn’t get deeply involved until about two years ago.

“I consider my short stature more of a condition than a disability. My spinal cord injury is my disability. But little people are underrepresented in this area,” Doyle said.

The area of the state carved out for the chapter Doyle is working to get started is large enough to include Wichita.

Doyle said she’s not sure how many people potentially would join the chapter. She knows there are more than 100 members in the four-state district of which the chapter will be a part.

Anybody can be a member of Little People of America, Doyle said.

There are supportive memberships for people related to or associated with someone of short stature. There are auxiliary memberships for people who live in a household with someone of short stature. And there are regular memberships for people who are 4-foot-10 or under and have a form of dwarfism.

Membership is $30 a year or $300 for a lifetime membership.

The first meeting of the chapter will be Sunday in Hays.