Shauna Rae goes on date with ‘inspiring’ firefighter who shares her diagnosis Wed 2 November 2022 13:14 Celine Byford
Michael Green
Published Apr 06, 2026
Shauna Rae is back for season 2 of her TLC show. I Am Shauna Rae follows her personal, dating and professional life after she survived a rare form of brain cancer as a child that left her navigating life in the body of an eight-year-old.
During the season premiere, Shauna heads on a blind date with a volunteer firefighter who has the same diagnosis of pituitary dwarfism as the reality TV personality. She describes him as “inspiring” after hearing his story.
The 22-year-old has been putting some TLC in her dating life and got in contact with a matchmaker to help her find a potential boyfriend. Then along came Thomas, who also has pituitary dwarfism.
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Is Shauna Rae on the dating scene?
Yes, Shauna has been dating with the help of a matchmaker in seasons 1 and 2 of the show. She was seen on a date with a man called Abraham last season and, this time, was set up with a volunteer firefighter called Thomas.
The TLC star’s matchmaker, Gabby, has been helping Shauna look for love since January.
She has another love interest this season, too – a man named Dan who lives in Wales. While they video-chatted, Dan told Shauna Rae he’s planning a trip to the US soon.
I think Thomas is perfect for Shauna! He seems grounded, she is outgoing. They make a cute couple! #IAmShaunaRae
— Gina Ram 🇺🇸 (@ginar2008) November 2, 2022
Shauna Rae’s date with Thomas
***Warning: Shauna Rae spoilers ahead***
Shauna Rae is a “little nervous” before meeting Thomas but also excited to meet someone going through a similar experience to her. She first notices how much taller 4ft 8in (1.4m) Thomas is, despite having the same diagnosis.
During the date, Thomas shows Shauna Rae around his firehouse before they sit down to eat at a diner. There are a few peeking eyes, though, as Shauna’s stepfather and sister sit just one table away.
Shauna also shares with Thomas she’s “had kids hit on me” because she stands at 3ft 10in, the result of pediatric brain cancer that prevented her pituitary gland from developing.
Thomas admits nothing of the sort has happened to him and, although they are similar in many ways such as looking to move out and buy a home at some point, they are also different when it comes to their social lives.
‘He inspires me to do good’
Shauna Rae told People that Thomas “inspires her to do good.” They talked about degrading terms they’ve been called, with Thomas telling her he empowers himself by not allowing words to define him.
Meeting the young man with pituitary dwarfism was an amazing experience. We had a lot in common because of our medical histories. And then our actual social lives are much different. I think it’s very beneficial because he is such an inspiring man. He inspires me to do good. He inspires people in his life to do good.
She added: “I think that is very inspiring for each of us and anyone else when they watch it because we came from a similar background, but not at the same time.”
Nice to see Shauna and Thomas bonding very well!! #IAmShaunaRae
— Colin Brinkley (@cb_yellowjacket) November 2, 2022
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