My Parents Took My Height 😨

[00:00:00]My parents took me to the hospital when I was nine and asked the doctor to remove the growth plates from my legs.

[00:00:04]We want [music] her plates transferred to him. They pointed to my brother Jason who was sitting in the lobby holding his basketball. He [music] was 15 and already 6'3 and I couldn't understand why they wanted him even taller. So, can [music] you transfer the plates? The doctor shook her head, absolutely not, and sent my parents home. I was really thankful [music] because I wanted to grow tall, but then at home, I overheard my parents talking at the kitchen table.

[00:00:22]We have to find someone who'll do the surgery. Mom's [music] tone was desperate. We've already sacrificed everything, Dad added. I was confused by what they meant, so I snuck [music] to their room and opened their drawers. I found paperwork showing they'd already signed Jason to a basketball youth agent telling [music] him he was 7 ft tall. I gasped in horror and felt Jason's hand on my shoulder. You having growth [music] plates is useless. I'm actually going to use them for something good.

[00:00:41]Just say yes. I shook my head, but two months later, Mom barged into my room smiling. We're going to Guatemala. My suitcase was already packed and we flew [music] out that night before I could even protest. Jason smiling at me the whole plane ride. We landed and immediately drove to a sketchy hospital without an official address. The doctor didn't even take my name and began putting surgery clothes on me while my legs shook from fear. When I looked over at Jason, he was [music] thanking my parents. I begged them, please don't do this. I want to grow, but they just smiled and waved at me while I got wheeled through the surgery doors. I still remember screaming at the doctors to [music] please stop while they put the anesthetic mask over my face. I woke up 42 hours later. We did it, the doctors told my parents showing them the [music] scans of my growth plates now in Jason's legs. I was in so much pain I cried, but my parents just hugged Jason and celebrated. You're going to make the NBA. We're going to be so rich. We went home five days later and [music] Jason immediately started growing. He reached 7 ft 4 and signed to a developmental basketball league while I stayed 4 ft 1 and would never [music] grow. Jason shot hoops in our driveway every day and never even thanked me. One day my parents dragged me to watch Jason's [music] first game, but when I saw him warming up, he kept limping like he was in serious pain. When he went for a layup, I heard his femur crack. He fell hard and began screaming in pain. My parents grabbed their heads [music] and paramedics had to carry him out on a stretcher. At the hospital, doctors told us something was wrong with Jason's growth plates, so they would have to amputate his legs or else his whole [music] body would shut down. My parents begged them no, but it was the only way.

[00:01:58]I wheeled Jason out of the hospital 7 days [music] later, and even though I was still 4'1, I was now taller than him.