Small body, huge smile - PHOTO

A six-year-old girl has a rare condition that means she's the size of a two-year old and weighs less than two stone.Maci Winters, from Pontefract, West Yorkshire, is just 99cm tall and wears clothes with an 18-24 month label (The average six-year-old girl is 116cm tall and weighs over three stone).Maci was born with a rare genetic condition called Russell-Silver Syndrome, a form of primordial dwarfism that affects 1 in 100,000 babies.The body is smaller than it should be even before birth and those affected also find it difficult to gain weight.But despite being smaller than her school friends and her younger brother, Ashton, 4, Maci can walk, play and boss them around like any other six year old.Last week, her parents, Lena Appleton, 30 and John Winters, 31, watched her take to the stage in the school nativity.Her mother said:  'Watching her we were so proud, but it did make us realise how big the other children were compared to Maci.'She was all smiles in the nativity and singing along to all the songs. She lit up the room and kept waving to us begging to have more pictures taken. To us, she's our little Christmas angel.'Although Maci's mental capacity is the same as any other six-year-old, she's well below the average weight and height for her age group.Ms Appleton added; 'When Maci was born we knew something was wrong. I was terrified when she had to be induced at 36 weeks. 'She weighed just 3lb 5oz and the doctors didn't have a clue why she was so small.'I took her home, but she didn't gain any weight when I fed her - she was too weak to suckle properly. The doctors told us she was a small baby but she'd catch up eventually.'As a toddler, Maci's head grew so much bigger than her body that she wasn't even able to lift it as she crawled along the living room carpet.Ms Appleton and her partner John, a retail manager at a mobile phone shop, spent the next three years visiting geneticists and dietitians, desperate to know why their little girl wasn't developing normally.At the age of three, a referral to the genetics team at Doncaster Hospital finally brought a diagnosis - Russell-Silver Syndrome.Ms Appleton said: 'We were terrified. Maci only weighed 11lbs and it was scary watching her go through so many tests. When they finally said that she'd tested positive for Russell-Silver Syndrome we were so relieved - we could finally help her.''With her blonde hair, cheeky smile and gorgeous blue eyes, Maci loves doing the same things as any other schoolgirl.'She has little steps to help with washing her hands and at home loves nothing more than dressing up like a princess or writing mummy and daddy notes saying "I love you".She added: 'We still worry about the impact Russell-Silver Syndrome will have on Maci's life - but she's so confident and cheeky. She does get upset when people mention her size but now she's old enough to tell them off which is quite funny.'Unfortunately, passers-by and other children do comment on Maci's pint-sized form - and it's not always positive.'In the supermarket, people used to gather around our trolley and gawp,' says Ms Appleton. 'They'd ask "what's wrong with her?" 'Then when Maci could walk they'd tell me off and say "your baby shouldn't be walking".' 'Everyone at Maci's school is so understanding, but sometimes we'll go to play areas and other children will call her a baby and tell her off for playing in there.'But her younger brother Ashton is already standing up for his older sister. At 103cms, he already towers over her and their height difference makes playing games even more fun.Their mother said: 'Maci does get confused and asks why Ashton is taller, but he's so protective of his sister and he'll always stick up for her. 'She usually wins at hide and seek because she can fit into a little cupboard in the bedroom where he can't find her.'Despite her specially adapted steps to reach things at school, Maci has had very few problems. Because of her tiny fingers, she used to find fastening buttons difficult - but can now put her school uniform on herself.now she puts on her school uniform all by herself.Ms Appleton added:  'When she first started school she kept getting knocked over because people would run past and not see her. But she has a 'school buddy' to look after her on the playground and the kids are brilliant.'Maci is being treated with growth hormones to give her a bit more height and has recently had hearing aids fitted. She also finds walking long distances difficult and has a special purple wheelchair to help her along.Common physical traits of those affected include a small, triangular-shaped face and a head which grows to be disproportionate to the rest of the body.Her mother said: 'There are adults with Russell-Silver Syndrome who have led normal lives and had children of their own. We have to be positive for Maci's sake. When we look back at what she's achieved it's just incredible.'(dailymail.co.uk)ANN.Az