Meet the World's smallest couple... Paulo Gabriel da Silva Barros and Katyucia Hoshino

Petite Paulo Gabriel da Silva Barros and tiny Katyucia Hoshino both have forms of dwarfism. The Brazilians are 34.8in and 35.2in respectively and they're hopeful their heights may land them a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records. 

Paulo, 30, who has diastrophic dysplasia dwarfism, drives a specially adapted car and works as a legal secretary. He even has ambitions to run for mayor in his home town of Itapeva, Brazil. 

Meanwhile Katyucia, 26, who has achondroplasia dwarfism, owns a successful beauty salon specially adapted for her diminutive height.

 

The couple first met on a social media website about 10 years ago and started chatting on MSN Messenger. 

"Respect wasn’t conquered from one day to another. Respect was conquered through a lot of hard work," he says.

Meet the World's smallest couple... Paulo Gabriel da Silva Barros and Katyucia Hoshino

 

Katyucia said:

 “It was a dream I had, a very long time ago. But because of how my life happened I didn’t get the opportunity.

"We adapted my gurney, we adapted everything that needed to be adapted and then I really started working in that area."

Paulo said: “I found her very beautiful from the first moment I saw her.”

But the attraction wasn’t mutual, as Katyucia initially blocked him on the instant messaging site.

She said: "The first time I started talking to Paulo, he was really annoying. He had cheap-pick up lines.”

Paulo explains: "She thought I was trying to flirt but I was just being nice. According to her I was a really boring guy.”

That would have been the end of their story – if Katyucia hadn’t suddenly decided to unblock him one day, a year-and-a-half later.

They started chatting again and their friendship blossomed.

Katyucia explained: “One day something happened in my head and I went and unblocked him. By then he was already more relatable.”

Paulo said: "When she unblocked me, it didn’t take me more than a minute to say hello. we started speaking and she said I was more civilised."

Two months later, Paulo travelled over 186 milies to Katyucia’s home city of Londrina to meet her. He was bowled over by Katyucia’s beauty - while she was shy and unimpressed with his dress sense.

Paulo said: "What most attracted me to her, besides her beauty, was how sweet she was. It was her sweet personality."

The beautician said: “He was wearing an orange shirt, jeans and sunglasses - thank God it has improved since then.”

Despite Katyucia’s concerns about the long distance between them, five days later the pair started dating and after four years they moved in together.

Katyucia said: "I had never dated before so Paulo is my first boyfriend, my first everything."

Now they say they’re are like any other couple.

Katyucia added: "We fight like every couple. A couple that doesn’t fight isn’t a normal couple.

“Our thoughts match, our ideas match, our feelings match and that’s really cool.

"His best qualities is his simplicity. He is a person like any other. I think as a couple we are both different people, we aren’t the same person. We discuss our relationship, sit down and talk and get to a resolution.

"I have a really difficult temper; dealing with me is not easy, but Paulo is so understanding and patient - that’s what I find most attractive about him."

Together the couple enjoy travelling, going out, eating ice-cream and Japanese food.

Katyucia said: “The things we most like to do are eating and sleeping.

“Those are the things we do best.”

And despite their small stature, the couples' only gripe is accessing ATM machines, using public bathrooms and reaching for their beloved buffets.

Paulo said: “The only difference that I see are things in public spaces. For example, an ATM was made for people with normal height. It’s a simple thing. A person with normal height has access but we, unfortunately, don’t have access.”

Katyucia added: "One of the difficulties I encounter is with the oven, the sink, the washing machine and opening a window and opening doors.”

Both say they have faced discrimination for their size and have been pointed and stared at in the street - with passers-by openly laughing at their stature.

Katyucia said: "I’ve been through discrimination every day. Every day I go outside and you see people pointing at you, whispering about you, that’s normal. You can’t escape it."

But Paulo and Katyucia brush off the ignorance and after eight years together, the pair are considering getting married - though Paulo has yet to pop the question.

Katyucia said: “If it wasn’t for his patience, we wouldn’t have been together for eight years. “I wouldn’t be who I am today. Paulo teaches me so much.”

The smitten couple are open to the possibility of children in the future – although it may be difficult for Katyucia to carry a baby full-term because of her size.

She said: “We’ve discussed having kids. My pregnancy would be high risk because the size of my uterus wouldn’t support a baby.

“We’ve decided to let things happen at the right moment. In regards to the future we say: ‘never say never’.”

She added: “In terms of personal goals, I want to one day get married, I want us to have our own house and have our own dogs. Whether we have kids or not, I want to be happy, that’s what I want.”