Man who is one of 25 in the world to be born without thighs, finds love with a woman 15 years his junior (Details, pics)

A man born without thighs because of a rare medical condition has found love with a woman he met on Facebook.

Nathan Hrdlicka who is 1.37m (4ft 6in) tall – has been called a 'midget' but is now happy in a loving relationship with girlfriend Chelsee Stuart. When 34-year-old Nathan, from Santa Fe, New Mexico, met 19-year-old Chelsee – who is at least a foot taller than him online, she initially saw his height as a 'problem'.

But then she fell in love with him and has seen past his disability. The couple have revealed their height difference draws stares but people can see they are in love.

Nathan is one of just 25 people in the world born with tbilateral proximal femoral focal deficiency (PFFD) type D – which means his knee bones are directly beneath his hip bones.

WHAT IS PFFD?

Proximal femoral focal deficiency (PFFD) causes the end of the thigh bone – the femur – closest to the hip being too short or not completely developed.

The typical appearance is an abnormally short thigh that is pulled upwards and rotated toward the outside.

In most cases, the hip joint is also poorly developed.

The condition affect one or both legs.

It can sometimes be treated using limb lengthening techniques but often results in a deficiency that is too great, or a knee and hip that are too unstable, for limb lengthening to be successful.

The causes of PFFD are unknown, but it is known that it is not genetic.

The hip will often need to be stabilised by surgery.

Sometimes using a prosthetic is the only treatment option.

He is the only person with the disease who has been able to walk despite the challenges.

'I don't see myself as different,' he said. 'When people come up to me that's the first thing they are seeing is my disability.

Nathan – who doctors said would have grown to be over 6ft 4in – says his condition brings him a lot of pain.

'My disability is something that doesn't define me.'

'There's only 25 people in the world with my condition. It makes me feel pretty unique,' he said.