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I’m the tiniest teen in the world!

Tiny Jyoti Amge is already a “mini” celebrity in her hometown of Nagpur, India. She has one very big claim to fame — she is thought to be the littlest girl in the world.

Standing just 58cm at 15 years old, petite Jyoti is smaller than the average one-year-old child. She has her own mini grey uniform and school bag and even a tiny desk. But she looks like a doll next to her teenage classmates.

Remarkably, brave Jyoti is constantly cheerful and she even has ambitions to sing and be an actress one day.

“I am proud of being the smallest girl. I love all the attention I get,” says a smiling Jyoti. “I’m not scared of being small, and I don’t regret being small.”

I am sure there are many people in this world who are dwarves like me. I’m just the same as other people. I eat like you, dream like you. I don’t feel any different.”

Jyoti is thought to have the condition achondroplasia, the most common form of dwarfism. But unlike other patients, who generally grow to more than 120cm tall, Jyoti has not even reached half that.

Jyoti’s mum, 45-year-old housewife Ranjana Amge, says no-one really knows why her little girl never grew up.

“Jyoti seemed quite normal to us when she was born,” says Ranjana. “We came to know about her disorder when she was five years old. We consulted a specialist and he said she will be this size all of her life.”

“Jyoti is small, yet cute, and we love her very much.”

People in the region of India where the family live flock to see the pretty teenager. She has already been registered in the Indian Book Of Records as the smallest girl in the country — but is also thought to be the tiniest in the world.

For the full story, see this week’s Woman’s Day (on sale April 14).

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Help make young diabetics’ lives easier

Watching an energetic Ruby and Hunter Doyle happy at play, you wouldn’t imagine the youngsters are suffering a potentially fatal illness. But the fact is, both of them have Type 1 diabetes.

As if managing diabetes isn’t difficult enough, many young sufferers have also been left traumatised with having to face up to five insulin injections a day.

And when you have a genuine phobia for needles, as many young people do, that’s a lot of fear to endure on a daily basis.

But it need not happen again. Now, thanks to a revolutionary insulin pump, the pain of daily needles has been taken away. Certainly, Ruby and Hunter’s daily experience has improved since they were given a pump, “It has completely changed our lives,” says the kids’ mum, Lisa.

Woman’s Day thought it would Make The Day of the Sydney Children’s Hospital Endocrinology Department, by donating a pump worth $8000.

The Department, with its ever increasing number of young diabetic patients, will give the pump to a special kiddie who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford the life-changing device.

In simple terms, the pump removes any need for insulin to be injected with a needle, as it works by delivering insulin directly into the body via a tube. The insulin is delivered in doses during the day. Whenever the diabetic eats food containing carbs, the pump can calculate the amount of insulin the body needs. This is achieved by entering information into the pump each time the patient eats, or when their blood-glucose levels are high. Nurses help patients learn just how to do this.

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In the mag – April 21, 2008

On sale Monday April 14, 2008

Brad and Ange’s kids out of control.

How they’ll struggle with six kids under six!

Real life Underbelly.

Roberta William’s shock interview: ‘My life as a gangland wife’.

Charles and Camilla’s secret split.

Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles are increasingly living separate lives, amid reports the couple’s three-decade-long relationship is heading for the rocks following a series of blazing rows in front of staff.

Trisha Goddard’s cancer shock.

Former Australian TV host reveals she is battling breast cancer.

True life: The world’s tiniest teen.

She’s 15 and smaller than a baby!

  • Debbie Rowe tells: ‘My life with Wacko Jacko.’

  • Interview with the hunks of Underbelly? these hot Aussie men shoot their mouths off about the show that’s heating up the small screen.

  • Cameron Daddo: ‘Marriage, mistakes & moving home’ ? after 16 years in LA, a happy Cameron Daddo brings his family back to Australia.

  • True Life: ‘I’m marrying my death row lover’.

  • Plus! Dr Rosie special: eight ways to put sex back in your marriage.

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Old soles

Dr Chris Brown answers your pet questions ? submit your own or browse our archives.

“Recently, I have noticed that when my 13-year-old German shepherd Hogan walks, he almost drags his back feet on the ground. Is he getting lazy in his old age?”

? Tamara.

Rather than him being lazy, this is actually a case of miscommunication within his own body. You see, to walk normally there is a constant flow of information between your legs and your brain, to tell you when and where to move your legs. This is called “proprioception”.

However, when age starts to take its toll on the body, it’s a lot like a house with old electrical wiring. Messages either don’t get through as quickly, or sometimes don’t even get through at all, and this proprioception begins to fail.

In Hogan’s case, it means he doesn’t really know where his legs are, so quite often he drags them. This old-age condition of dogs is called a “peripheral neuropathy”, with the classic sign being scuffed and worn-down toenails on his back feet. I would also have Hogan checked for any signs of arthritis (which is treatable), as it can also make moving those creaky old joints a lot more difficult.

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I got my partner sacked

I met my partner, Greg, when I started work as a secretary at a large shopping centre. He was one of the shopping centre handymen, responsible for fixing anything that went wrong and helping out when the different shops had new fit-outs done. He was great at his job and a happy, genuine guy. As soon as we met it was instant attraction and it didn’t take long for us to realise it was love. He moved in with me three months later.

Our relationship was fantastic and I loved my job. The only problem was that Greg wasn’t happy at work. He dreamt of opening his own handyman business and working for himself, but he didn’t believe in himself enough to actually do it. With his friendly personality and the way he could fix anything, I knew his business would be successful.

I tried to convince Greg to give notice and start his business at every opportunity but Greg wasn’t convinced. Although he really wanted to work for himself, he just didn’t have the confidence in himself.

It didn’t help that the other shopping centre handyman, Terry, was lazy and always made sure Greg was blamed for anything that went wrong. Greg regularly came home and told me he’d been told off for some sloppy work that Terry had done. Greg was getting more and more upset with his job, but he still didn’t believe he could make his own business work. It got me so upset seeing my wonderful partner so unhappy and losing confidence by the day.

Then, Greg came home and told me the Operations Manager position was vacant and both he and Terry were applying. When I found out at work that Terry had got the promotion, I snapped. Terry was rude to work with, mean and such a terrible tradesman. I just couldn’t believe he had been promoted ahead of Greg.

Still, Greg wouldn’t quit. So I finally took things into my own hands. I knew the only way Greg was going to leave his job was if he was sacked, so I decided I’d make sure it happened.

Greg and Terry had been helping with a shop fit-out and had gone home for the day. I was doing some overtime in the office late one night. I snuck out of the office when the centre manager was on the phone and went to where the guys had been doing their work. I grabbed some of their expensive tools and equipment and dragged them to the outside of the shopping centre so it looked like the tools hadn’t been put away.

I had half of them out, when the centre manager came up behind me unexpectedly. He was furious and I thought in that instant that the only person being fired would be me! I was so lucky. The centre manager immediately assumed I’d been trying to drag the tools back inside the shopping centre and that I was trying to cover up the fact that Greg or Terry hadn’t locked their work tools away so they couldn’t be stolen. The manager was furious and gave me a real telling-off for trying to protect the men.

The next morning, the manager called Greg and Terry into his office to ask them to explain their carelessness. Terry immediately put all the blame on Greg and said he knew nothing about the tools being left outside. It was finally too much for Greg. He was so furious that, once again, he was going to take the blame for something he didn’t do. So he quit on the spot and walked out.

As soon as I got home from work that day, I found Greg at home on the phone organising business cards and a leaflet drop in our community to advertise his new handyman business.

It’s now been six months and Greg’s business has taken off and he’s doing really well. The customers have been really pleased with the quality of his work and love having him around for a bit of a chat too! Greg is the happiest I’ve ever known him and he’s so successful now that I’ve quit my job at the shopping centre as well and I now work for Greg.

Although I’d never tell him the truth, I know getting Greg sacked was the best thing I have ever done for him. He’s happy, confident and it’s done no harm to his bank account either!

Picture: Getty Images. Posed by model.

Your say: Would you meddle with your partner’s job if it was for his/her own good? Have your say about this true confession below…

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Genevieve Clay-Smith’s Inclusive Filmmaking In Action

Genevieve Clay-Smith's Inclusive Filmmaking In Action
Genevieve Clay Smith.
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Illustrator Kerrie Hess’ Beautiful Art

Images courtesy of Kerrie Hess.
Illustrator Kerrie Hess' Whimsical Art
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The Sisters Hayes take on the art industry

The Sisters Hayes speak to Women To Love.
The Sisters Hayes.

A Good Death.

Photo credit: Tristan Davies.

Blood Wedding.

Photo credit: Jeff Busby.

A Good Death.

Photo credit: The Sisters Hayes.

Going Down.

Photo credit: Brett Boardman.

Walking into the Bigness.

Photo credit: Pia Johnson.

Big Sky Country.

Photo credit: The Sisters Hayes.

Now You See Me.

Photo credit: Andrew Ferguson.

Going Down.

Photo credit: Brett Boardman.

Big Sky Country.

Photo credit: The Sisters Hayes.

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Jackson 5: Riches to rags

They were once music’s most famous family, but the Jackson clan is now desperate and broke.

As Michael Jackson struggles to hold onto his iconic Neverland ranch, it’s not just the former King of Pop who is facing financial ruin.

Despite being one of the music industry’s most successful families — they have sold more than 300 million albums combined — a series of bad investments and get-rich-quick schemes have reportedly wiped out much of the fortune earned by the Jackson 5.

Adding to his family’s woes, Michael’s contempt for them has left them high and dry. The star’s former long-time communications director Bob Jones is quoted in the New York Post as saying: “Michael’s mission was to make sure his family was broke, and he accomplished that through the music industry, which mostly kowtowed to him.

“We were always ordered by Michael to keep his family away from his offices and out of his business. He hated them. He wanted them broke.”

For the full story, see this week’s Woman’s Day (on sale March 31).

Search:

Read more about Michael Jackson.

Your say: What do you think about the Jacksons being desperate and broke? Have your say below …

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Tom tells Katie: ‘I’m taking Suri’

Tom Cruise has warned his emotionally fragile wife Katie Holmes he’ll take their daughter Suri if the troubled actress can’t withstand the demands of their celebrity lifestyle.

Struggling under the intense pressure of being Mrs Tom Cruise, an increasingly gaunt and confused Katie has recently been plagued by blinding headaches and frightening fainting spells.

With her emotional torment threatening to overwhelm her, Tom has laid down the law — telling his wife to shape up or risk being sidelined as a mum.

“Tom has been patient with Katie, supportive of her feelings and how she needed to get used to her new life. But he feels enough is enough,” says a source.

Katie’s attempts to revive her career — and her independence — by taking a part in the Broadway show All My Sons already appear to be coming unstuck, with Tom warning that the six-nights-a-week commitment will mean less time with Suri.

“If Katie takes on a huge commitment like that it means that they would be leading separate lives for an extended period,” says a source.

“He is taking control back from Katie the only way he knows how — by telling her that if she doesn’t pull herself together, their marriage is doomed. He has even gone as far as to warn Katie: ‘I’m taking Suri with me if our marriage falls apart’.”

Frail and confused

Katie’s role in little Suri’s life has come under increasing scrutiny in recent months, with mother and daughter not seen in public together since mid-January. While Katie is reported to be struggling with her child’s behaviour, a relaxed Tom was last week seen taking his daughter — who turns two next week — to an LA park, with Katie nowhere in sight.

“With Katie’s frail state, Suri is just too much to handle,” a source told US magazine Star.

Katie’s fragility has become increasingly apparent of late. When the actress lunched at one of her favourite restaurants, Joan’s On Third, on March 17 it was obvious that something was terribly wrong. She seemed exhausted, her skin was pale, and she looked feeble and emaciated.

Around the time of her episode at Joan’s, she fainted as she got out of her car at the Scientology Celebrity Center, says a source. To make matters worse, “She has done the Fat Flush — which involves drinking a lot of pure cranberry juice — several times,” the source told Star. “She’s obsessed with being thin no matter the cost. When she goes out to eat, you see her only picking at her food.”

Small triumph

Compounding the pressure is the fact that Tom, 45, regularly goes off on his own for days at a time, leaving Katie, 29, and Suri in the hands of Scientology minders, says a source. Katie even revealed in a recent interview that Tom “works for 48 hours straight [and then] comes home”.

An already-fragile Katie is only adding to her frustration by looking for small ways to fight A-list excesses. She’s said to have refused Tom’s idea of a $550,000 party for Suri’s 2nd birthday on April 18 — complete with a Cirque du Soleil performance — in favour of a smaller affair.

Despite all the advantages of marriage to a multimillionaire like Tom, Katie has found they can’t buy true happiness — especially as she contemplates a shrinking role in Suri’s life.

For the full story, see this week’s Woman’s Day (on sale April 7).

Search:

Read more about Katie Holmes.

Your say:

Do you think Tom has gone too far?

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