THE world of beauty pageants has helped two disabled sisters find their confidence and, for one of them, her first words. From a young age, both Ava, 9, and 4-year-old Jessa struggled with their confidence, with Jessa unable to speak at all. Ava was born with achondroplasia, the most common form of dwarfism, and Jessa has spina bifida milamidiseal - one of the most complex forms of spina bifida. Parents Jacqueline and Jason Whipple turned to beauty pageants to see if they could bring the girls out of their shells. Between them, Ava and Jessa have appeared in 40 beauty pageants, winning several crowns along the way, not to mention the hearts of everyone who meets them - and their parents couldn’t be prouder.