While 2017 turned out to be a stellar year for actor Sam Humphrey, who starred alongside Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron in the musical The Greatest Showman, 2018 is shaping up to be a terrible year for him.
The 24-year-old Kiwi entertainer was not only born with dwarfism, but also with a rare genetic disorder called acrodysplasia. Also known as Apert Syndrome, the congenital condition causes malformations of parts of the body, including the skull, face, and limbs.
He was also diagnosed with Crohn's disease at a young age, so he spent a good chunk of his life in hospitals and being operated on. Doctors did not think he would he would make it to adulthood.
Despite the poor prognosis, Humphrey fought hard to stay alive and overcome the other challenges life threw at him. At one point, he even attempted suicide, but with his faith and the support of his family, he made it through the tough times.
"I started to suffer a lot with self-esteem issues, lack of confidence and thoughts of suicide as well. That was a lot of challenges I had to overcome," he said in an interview with LRM.
Illness didn't stop Humphrey from pursuing his dream - a career as an actor- and in 2017, he finally got his big break when he played General Tom Thumb in The Greatest Showman. He also starred in the TV movie Jeremy the Dud.
The actor seemed to have disappeared from the public eye recently, and it turns out, he has been hospitalized again. According to TMZ, he has been in the hospital for a few weeks now and is "fighting for his life."
Humphrey's family released a statement in which they shared an update about the actor's condition:
"He is currently under the care of some of the best doctors in the world at Cedars Sinai and is undergoing high-risk corrective surgery. His family and friends are with him and they ask for privacy while Sam is treated and recovers. They welcome everyone's prayers and support at this time."
Humphrey's rep told People that the surgery is needed because he "has been suffering from complications" due to Crohn's disease "which is exasperated by Sam's skeletal dysplasia and size."
Humphrey was last heard from four days ago when he posted a message on Instagram wishing his co-star Zendaya a happy birthday.
"🎊🎉HAPPY-BIRTHDAY🎉🎊 For yesterday, to a really amazing beautiful gal, shes super talented and a huge super star; what an incredible experience and honour to work alongside such a talented talented young artist!!😊ðŸŽðŸŽ‚HAPPY BIRTHDAY ZENDAYA🎂 @zendaya@palpublicrelations @momentumagency," he wrote in the caption.
