Little People, Big World star Tori Roloff reflected on having an “emotional week” as her and husband Zach Roloff’s son, Jackson Roloff, recovers from surgery.
“Watching Jackson go through surgery and worse — recovery — has been emotionally draining,” the TLC star, 30, said via Instagram about the “rough” time, adding she’s “[keeping] it together” for the sake of her kids.
The reality TV mom noted she wished she could take away her 4-year-old son’s “discomfort” during his recovery but noted he’s extremely “resilient.”
“I want to give him back all his confidence to walk and run and jump. It’s hard to not be able to fix it right now,” she continued. “He gets so frustrated some times [SIC], but overall, he’s still his silly, smiley, smarty self. He has kept us positive through this whole thing, reminding us of his strength.”
Tori went on to thank fans for the support following Jackson’s surgery. Despite the difficulties, their son is “well on his way to recovery.”
“We’re praying in another week or so he will be back to his active self!” the photographer continued. “In the mean time [SIC], I’m going to try and keep my emotions in check with all the extra snuggles and movie nights!”
The toddler underwent surgery “to help correct the bowing in his legs,” Tori revealed on November 30, admitting that it was one of the “hardest” days she’s ever experienced.
The social media influencer further elaborated on the reason behind Jackson’s surgery. “For those who will notice: the surgery was to help straighten his legs over time. It was the less invasive surgery (thank goodness) and easier all around on baby J,” she wrote via Instagram. “So, we won’t see a difference for a while, but he is so resilient and is taking it all like a champ.”
Like their father, Zach, 31, Jackson and his sister, 2-year-old Lilah, were born with achondroplasia, the most common form of dwarfism. Bowed legs are a common side effect of achondroplasia, which Zach also experienced.
The parents have kept a close eye on Jackson’s growth over the years in order to hopefully avoid some of the painful procedures that Zach has experienced.
When the Oregon native was still a child, he had his leg broken in three places to have metal plates inserted into his legs to help them straighten. During season 2 of the reality show, he had screws added to his legs to help with his mobility.
“As you can imagine, the recovery was painful. I had to take lots of painkillers, and I slept a lot,” Zach previously said of the experience.
On November 17, Tori and Zach announced they are currently expecting baby No. 3 and discussed the possibility that their third child will also be born with achondroplasia.
“We won’t know if he or she is a dwarf until further into pregnancy, and with dwarves, it’s encouraged to have a [C-section] because of bigger head size,” Tori wrote to a fan during a Q&A on her Instagram Stories at the time. “I was saying, I’d love to not know [the baby’s gender or if they have a form of dwarfism], but IF my [doctor] says I need a [C-section,] it would be obvious to us.”