John Wolin, 57; Wrote Columns on Dwarfism for the Miami Herald

John Wolin, 57, a reporter and editor at the Miami Herald for 21 years who inspired readers by chronicling his experiences as an achondroplastic dwarf, died in his sleep on Monday at a Texas hospital after undergoing surgery for a serious curving of his spine, according to his wife.

Wolin stood 4 feet 7 and lost the use of both legs while working at the Herald. He eventually used an electric scooter to get around the newsroom.

He wrote about the degenerative condition in 1991 as he prepared for a spinal cord operation to preserve the use of his arms.