I’m Judged Because My Girlfriend Is 3ft 10 | LOVE DON’T JUDGE

With over a foot and a half difference in height, couple Ivoon and Jonathan are used to unwanted attention when they go out in public – but they don’t let that stop them going out. At 5 foot 4, Jonathan is below the average male height – but he is still over a foot taller than partner Ivoon, who at just 3 foot 10, is classed as a little person. The couple, who have been together nearly six years and have a two-year-old daughter have even been mistaken for father and daughter. The couple, from Midlothian Illinois, have even developed a code word for when they spy strangers - or ‘fans’ - taking photos of them together. Jonathan said: “It's pretty crazy when you get the guys [have] got the phone right here and they trying to like hide it. We use keywords like: ‘okay I see a fan.’” Ivoon’s height is due to the rare condition she was born with, Fanconi Bickel Syndrome. As a child she used a wheelchair and while she can now walk unaided, she still needs a wheelchair for long distances; she also uses a feeding tube. The syndrome causes a kidney disorder, which in turn affected Ivoon’s ability to grow fully and develop strong bones as she grew up. Before meeting Jonathan, Ivoon had been in a serious relationship – but she had never gone on a date in public with her 6ft tall ex. However; with Jonathan, it was different right from the outset of their relationship. Ivoon said: “Ever since we met, he never excluded me from family events; he always made me feel like I was any other regular person. Right away he never made me feel bad about being with him or going out in public.” Two years ago Ivoon and Jonathan welcomed baby Catalina into their family, describing her as their ‘miracle baby’. In spite of the judgement they get for going out – be it as a couple or a family – they refuse to let it stop them from doing anything. Ivoon said: “I'm so glad that I have my family now and he gives me so much confidence and I feel secure when he's with me. And even when he's not with me, since I'm a mom now, now I'm her security so I am her safe place, so a lot of the looks and the negative people, they don't affect me as much as when I was younger.”