In the latter part of last year, Tori and Zach Roloff brought a beautiful little bundle of joy into the world. But this happy event was followed by a devastating family announcement. If you’re not familiar with the story of these two young people, keep reading.
Potential Consequences
Zach and Tori had been dating for four years when Zach finally proposed. The answer was a resounding yes even though Tori knew starting a life and family with Zach was going to present some challenges.
Tough Tori was aware of these challenges, she had no idea how big the dangers and obstacles would be.
Let’s Try
Once the couple tied the knot, they began to talk about starting a family. Both Tori and Zach were adamant that they wanted to build a family, but both were very honest about the risk that this entailed.
They knew that the chance of health complications was there, but even with that, they decided the risk was worth the reward. So the couple began trying to get pregnant. This, however, was the first step on a long and tumultuous road.
First Child
It didn’t take long for the two to find out that they were expecting. Nine months after Tori Roloff gave birth and became a mom for the very first time. This was an exciting event in her and Zach’s life. Like any other couple, they were nervous about raising a child.
But unlike many of their friends and family that had already brought life into the world, they had more to worry about.
Genetic Traits
Zach and several of his family all live with dwarfism, and this brings extra difficulties to surmount. Not only with daily activities but with their health. Zach himself had to go through many surgeries as he grew up.
His dad, Matthew, requires even more attention due to the form of dwarfism he was born with. Zach’s mom Amy on the other hand, hasn’t had as many health concerns as the two men. Even with all that, though, it is incredible the amount of and type of work they were able to manage.
In the Beginning
Tori Roloff went to work on the family farm, and it wasn’t long before the fans of the show felt that she and Zach were the perfect couple. Eventually, Zach agreed, and four months after Tori started working there, he asked her out.
She clearly said yes, and after dating for just a short period, Tori knew she had found her Prince Charming. But she had no idea the hurdles that this fairytale romance would bring into her life.
Their Own Dream
Hollywood loves a good spin-off, and when Amy and Matthew began to dream of a different career, the show was ripe for one. So in 2012, Zach’s parents stepped out and took the leading roles in their own reality show called Little People, Big World: Wedding Farm.
This followed them as they started working on their own wedding planning business. The show didn’t have the ratings of the original, and so it only lasted one season.
“I Quit!”
With cameras in their faces and lives every day and every hour, you can imagine tension and frustration might begin to mount. This would be especially true if you were a young man, and so the youngest family member, Jacob, decided to quit.
He felt that the family on the screen was not the one he lived with, but rather characters of themselves. Jacob didn’t want to portray something he wasn’t, so he bowed out gracefully.
Office Romance
The office romance unfolded over a few years before it moved on to a more permanent relationship with the engagement. Even with the stray eyed love, the couple has had their share of issues. Tori Roloff was aware of the problems that might arise from the pairing.
However, she wasn’t aware of how emotionally draining they might be. Even still, she knew she loved Zach, and so she pushed through all the challenges and uncertainty.
Down the Aisle
A wedding is a big event in anyone’s lives, but it becomes even bigger when you are a star on a hit reality series. So with the events covered thoroughly by TLC cameras, Zach and Tori finally walked down the aisle in July of 2015.
The ceremony was small with just 100 people, and though not the first wedding on the show, was by far the one everyone was waiting for.
Transferable Skills
Having the experience of controlling multiple children and getting them to focus on you is an important skill to have as a new mom. So Tori Roloff started off her new job with the scale tipped in her favor, as she not only worked on the farm but was a kindergarten teacher as well.
Of course, she had to take some time off from the job when the baby was born, but she told several people she couldn’t wait to introduce the baby to her kids.
Mixed Emotions
Of course, Tori Roloff was aware that the little one could inherit the dwarfism gene from Zach. He was born with achondroplasia, and so with that in mind, the couple was prepared for the news if it came.
In May of 2017, they got the results, and it was confirmed that little one did inherit the gene. Even with the news, though, the couple were still excited and knew that they were going to go through a whole range of emotions through the pregnancy and into the child’s young life.
Lucky #7
But before the little bundle of joy could enter their lives and the world, there was another important milestone for the couple. Tori Roloff made sure that the world knew how much she loved Zach when their 7th anniversary of being together came around.
She posted a beautiful picture and post on Instagram that expressed how important Zach was to her and how her life would not be the same or as happy if they hadn’t met.
Breaking Up Is Hard to Do
The wedding was a rousing success and one of the family’s happiest moments, but another announcement would take the family and fans by surprise. Later that same year, Zach’s parents announced that they were splitting up after 30 years of marriage.
They fully intended to keep working together on their joint ventures and still planned to focus on their family, but they needed to go their own ways in regards to their relationship.
Jackson Makes His Entry
In May of 2017, Tori and Zach welcomed Jackson, their son, into the world. They later would come to find out he shared his father’s dwarfism gene, which was okay with Zach. He told several people in interviews he knew they would have to encourage them more.
When dealing with the trials of dwarfism, the boy was always going to have to work a little harder. But Zach still wanted to raise him with the understanding that not everyone gets a trophy.
Updates Galore
The couple knew they didn’t want Jackson to feel like his dwarfism would keep him from doing anything he wanted to.
That is why Tori Roloff made sure to give constant updates via social media on Jackson’s progress and life. But soon, she would find out it wasn’t only about Jackson’s struggles but hers as well.
Unexpected Challenge
Tori Roloff kept the updates on Jackson coming, and they were all positive, but in one post, she discussed her challenges in breastfeeding. She was very transparent with the fact she found breastfeeding challenging.
She was shocked as it is a natural part of the process, and she didn’t realize how hard it would be. New moms all over the country and the world sympathized with her and appreciated her honesty.
Honesty Is the Best Policy
Tori Roloff continued to be open about the struggles of breastfeeding. She even discussed how hard it is for women who can’t breastfeed to answer simple check-up questions. For instance, how is breastfeeding going?
Once again, moms worldwide were awed by her courage and gave a lot of support and praise for being so open. After all, a lot of new moms are ashamed to talk about their problems.
Let’s Add Another One
Though she struggled and was concerned about adding another child to the mix, Tori and Zach decided they wanted a bigger family. In several interviews, the couple discussed the desire for a larger family.
Zach even went on to say they were thinking that four or five was a good number. But the couple was also a go-with-the-flow kind of couple and believed if it happens, it happens. But there is a big announcement coming!
Second Time Around
Tori and Zach had already discussed with the world they wanted to give Jackson a sibling or two. Then it happened, and they announced last year that they were expecting their second child.
Not long after the announcement, Tori’s Instagram feed was filled with pictures from a photoshoot in a beautiful field. Plus, they also announced in one of the posts that the baby was going to be a girl!
Big Brother
That photoshoot had a special guest star… Jackson. The then 2-year-old made an appearance wearing a cute t-shirt that had “Big Brother” printed across it. He seemed pretty happy as the couple kneeled at his side and held a picture of the sonogram.
Even though the couple looked happy, many fans were concerned after a few previous posts from Tori Roloff. In these posts, she talked about life being challenging.
It’s Natural
Tori Roloff was always a big supporter of breastfeeding, even though it is stigmatized in modern society. One of the biggest debates in the mom communities is whether breastfeeding in public is a do or don’t.
Many new mothers feel awkward doing it, and the societal outlooks don’t help any. But on the other hand, if a mother opts not to breastfeed, they are looked down on as well. It seems that you can’t please everyone.
Public Feeding
The public breastfeeding debate often leads new moms to assume that the law is against it, but they would be misinformed. In fact, in most of the US, excluding one state, public breastfeeding is legal.
The only hold out is Idaho. When it comes to public breastfeeding, where the real problem comes is the verbal and provocation instigated by other people. But Tori Roloff is working to make this a non-issue.
Are They Staring?
Tori Roloff has been very vocal about how uncomfortable and awkward feeding in public was for her with her first child. But then she asked herself why should she feel awkward? After all, it is a natural act.
So she remains very vocal about the importance of removing the stigma associated with breastfeeding in public. She has been so vocal that she has gotten a lot of praise from mothers and medical professionals alike.
Motherly Duties
The fact that Tori Roloff had a lot of problems breastfeeding Jackson makes her dedication to the cause even stronger. She struggled, but through perseverance, she was able to conquer the difficulties.
Often when mothers have as many problems as Tori, they give up and trade the natural milk for formulas or other options. Sometimes this is a necessity, but Tori felt it was important to be able to do things the natural way.
Praise Followed
Tori Roloff’s consistent openness and honesty about her struggles and the struggles of many other mothers garnered a lot of positive attention. With her large social media following, she was inundated with praise.
Her followers thanked her for being so open and backed her when she talked about how women should not be made to feel guilty or degraded when breastfeeding in public. Her followers weren’t the only ones to speak up.
Doctor Recommended
Medical professionals also spoke up in the comment section of her posts. The response was positive, but a few mentioned the recent push to try to get all women to breastfeed.
Many professionals feel the process is important, but the constant push could be setting up certain mothers for depression and emotional distress. This is especially true for those that can’t for reasons beyond their control. It seems this topic is super intricate and one that should be maneuvered with the help of a woman’s doctor.
Shared Emotional Challenges
Tori Roloff isn’t the only Roloff woman who had had some issues when it came to motherhood. Audrey, Tori’s sister in law, also expressed her pregnancy issues via social media. Audrey was super open with how hard it was to manage all the emotions of becoming a mother.
On top of the job of pregnancy, Audrey was trying to balance running her own business as well. Needless to say, there were a lot of emotions floating around.
Juggling Responsibilities
In fact, in the post, Audrey asked other mompreneurs how they did it. She was raw with her concerns and fears about the shifting of priorities and her ability to make those adjustments smoothly.
She was just reaching out for a little advice and maybe reassurance that she could do it. But the response she got really surprised her. It seems that there was no need to feel as lost as she felt plenty of women were about to reach out to her.
That’s Normal
The response to Audrey’s very open and real feelings was especially outstanding from her followers. They all let her know that those feelings are something that almost every woman feels at some point.
They also let her know that every mom has their own way of dealing with the balancing act of working and raising children. But the number one priority is always the baby; after all, most businesses can be automated, but a baby cannot.
Other Celebrity Mom’s Weigh In
Tori Roloff and Audrey are by no means the only “celebrity” moms that have spoken out on the difficulties of motherhood. Many others, like Chrissy Teigen and Alanis Morrissette, have also discussed their issues.
This includes the stigma of breastfeeding. Many of these celebrities have taken to social media and posted pics of them feeding in public to attempt to remove the stigma. Hopefully, if people with this level of visibility keep doing it will become less controversial.
The Struggle Is Real
From the beginning, Tori and Zach faced a lot of criticism from outside sources. From their relationship to their deciding to have a family, it seemed like their celebrity status left them open for everyone to say something.
Tori used her social media to show that they may be in the spotlight, but she and her family go through the same struggles as the “normal” person.
Real-Life Reality
One of the reasons that Tori Roloff and her family were so popular was that the show portrayed what life was like for the family. In fact, it was so well received that it got renewed for a second season without much thought.
Many critics loved the open and honest portrayal of what life was like for the family dealing with the challenges of living with dwarfism. The show never tried to exploit this situation, and that made it feel real and uplifting.
Everyday Hurdles
The Roloff family wasn’t shy about sharing everything they could with the audience. In fact, they took the opportunity to share and educate people on life and the struggles of living with dwarfism. When the opportunity came up to have their own show, there was never a hesitation.
In fact, Amy told an interviewer one time that she jumped at the chance. There were no shows that depicted a family with dwarfism accurately, and she felt she and her family could do that.
Stardom’s Path
The show launched the entire family into reality stardom. Why was it so captivating? Not only did it introduce people to a family that lived with dwarfism but in general, just a functional family.
The show took the audience through the life of a family that was just like everyone else. The only exception was some members living with dwarfism and yet were portrayed as an appealing, real, and dynamic family.
Moving On
After Amy and Matt split, it wasn’t long until Matt had found a new love, Caryn Chandler. The friends had been flirting for years as Caryn had been present in the family’s life for a long time as the farm manager.
She had been running the farm for a decade when Matt was able to act on his feelings and begin dating her. The two seem to be very happy.
Breakup Rumors
But like with all relationships in the public eye, there are always rumors that start to circulate. The big one was that the couple was on the brink of splitting. This rumor probably started when it was announced that Caryn was no longer the farm manager.
Matt was quick to respond to the rumors. He let the world know that they had not split and that they were still very happy.
Happy Announcement
Zach and Tori’s fans all start getting excited when news that there is a second bundle of joy on the way. The rumors really took off after Zach shared a video of his wife wearing baggy clothes and eating.
Tori rather quickly shot down the rumors and said that she thought that asking a woman if she was pregnant could be hurtful if that woman was unable to conceive. She also clarified she liked baggy clothes and food.
Close Call
Then news of a car accident hit the internet, and her fans were scared. She and Jackson had both been in the car when they were hit, and the car totaled. The accident was pretty serious, but both mom and son walked away just fine.
She confirmed this in a post with a picture of their new car. Tori Roloff let her fans know she was fine, and so was Jackson. She went on to say that it could have been the scariest moment of her life, though.
Safety First
Tori and Zach don’t always get happy comments on their posts, though. During a family vacation to Hawaii, the couple posted a picture of Jackson in a boat san life vest, and the post went crazy with a concerned citizen.
They criticized them for being negligent. But Grandpa quickly posted a pic with Jackson in the vest and said that when on the water, the parents definitely made sure Jackson was wearing safety gear.
Thanks & Giving
Tori took to social media again to wish all her fans a very Happy Thanksgiving from the family. The picture had everyone, including the newest addition, Lilah.
The little one had been born just two weeks before the holiday, and the questions were flying around on whether the little girl would have the same dwarfism gene as her dad and brother. Tori was very familiar with the feeling of waiting for the result of the test.
Finally, She’s Here
The fans of the couple had eagerly been waiting for the birth of the new little one. Of course, the wait was full of ups and downs and tons of questions. Eventually, the questions were answered…
Lilah did have the same dwarfism gene. Tori and Zach haven’t talked about it much because the fans are sure that this family is ready to handle whatever challenges come up and do so with honesty and heart.