Charming Facts About Gary Coleman, TV’s Cursed Prodigy
Gary Coleman was a breakout child star of the 1970s and became emblematic of American pop culture in the decades thereafter.
But behind his sitcom short king persona, Coleman’s life was a constant battle with illness and pain–both physical and mental.
1. He Was Adopted
Gary Coleman was born on February 8, 1968, in Zion, Illinois. At four days old, he was adopted by Willie and Sue Coleman. Gary never met his biological parents and never hinted as to whether he desired to do so. If he struggled with this fact, it was nothing compared to his health struggles.
2. He Was A Sickly Child
At 18 months of age, doctors informed Coleman’s adopted parents that their son had been born with an atrophied kidney. To make matters worse, the other kidney would soon fail too. This kidney disease, known as focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, would set Coleman up for a lifetime of health problems. His physical appearance suffered the effects too.
3. He Stayed Short
The illness, but also the medications that doctors used to treat it, would end up stunting Coleman’s growth. He stopped growing in his adolescence and remained 4 ft 8 in for the rest of his life. But his height wasn’t the only thing affected.
4. He Had A Babyface
Coleman’s growth was not the only thing limited by his illness. It also affected his physical development. Indeed, well into adulthood, Coleman’s appearance remained childlike. Though he suffered immensely from his illness, the effects may have perversely enabled his career to come.
