News, views and top stories in your inbox. Don't miss our must-read newsletter Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

A child's first day at school is a special day for parents – but when Charlotte Garside meets her new classmates today it will a dream come true for Steve Garside and Emma Newman.

The playful five-year-old is the world’s smallest girl and there was a time when her mum and dad didn’t know if she would be strong enough to ever attend school.

Emma beamed: “It’s a really big step for Charlotte. We’re all dead proud.

“In her short life, there have been a lot of ups and downs but she really is the most smiley, determined little girl.”

Charlotte suffers from a rare form of dwarfism that’s so unusual doctors don’t have a name for it.

Experts think she suffers from a mixture of types of Majewski Osteodysplastic Primordial Dwarfism.

As well as a weakened immune system and cysts on her liver, Charlotte’s mental and physical development has been delayed.

She will probably only ever reach 2ft tall. She was diagnosed with haemophilia last year too.

But despite everything she is bubbly and energetic and never stops smiling.

After attending nursery for the past two years, she’s more excited than usual at the thought of being able to join the local junior school near her home in Withernsea, near Hull in East Yorkshire.

“She might be small but anyone who has ever met Charlotte will tell you that she has a big personality.

"She just wants to join in and follow her big sisters everywhere. She is such a driven, determined person.”

Weighing less than 8lb and measuring 64cm in height, Charlotte will have to wear a specially made uniform and is entering the class a year later than other kids.

When she was born in August 2007, weighing just 1lb 11oz and measuring 25cm, she had to be dressed in doll’s clothes and wear nappies the size of a credit card.

And when Emma, 30, brought her home to meet sisters Chloe, 15, Sabrina, 12 and Sophie, eight, she carried her in her pocket.

Since then the family have endured some emotionally tough times, as they waited for an official diagnosis.

For now Charlotte’s making great progress.

“Of course I worry about how will she cope at school and what if her health gets worse – there are a lot of unknowns but we don’t want those to overshadow her life,” Emma said.

“Since the day she was born she has brought something special into our lives.”

Primordial dwarfism

Primordial dwarfism is a genetic disorder that delays growth before and at birth. The condition is thought to affect less than 100 people worldwide. It often causes a low birth weight, small head, conspicuous nose and small eyes. The typical height people grow to is less than one metre. There are a number of different types of primordial dwarfism including:

- Majewski osteodysplastic primordial dwarfism (MOPD) types 1, 2 and 3

- Seckel

- Russell-Silver

- Meier-Gorlin