The world's tallest woman has died. A Chinese woman who was 7'7' died at the age of 39.
Yao Defen, who held the Guinness World Record for her outstanding height, died in her home in the eastern Chinese province on Anhui on November 13, according to the Daily Mail.
The cause of death is not clear but it was likely due to her gigantism which was caused by a tumor on her pituitary gland that disrupted her growth hormone levels. Chinese government officials confirmed the November death on Wednesday.
A neighbor by the name of Zhang recalled the morning when Yao died.
"It was 9am in the morning, just after breakfast, when her mother shouted that the girl was hurt. People immediately rushed over to their home. I saw Yao lying on the bed - she wasn't breathing. Later, her sister arrived and the doctor soon confirmed her death. Her sad mother cried then fainted," Zhang said, according tot he Daily mail.
Yao's height was an issue from a young age. By the time she was 15, she was 6 feet and 7 inches. She used her height towards playing basketball but during a game she fainted on the court. Upon a medical examination, doctors discovered the tumor that caused the release of excessive growth hormones and growth in her bones.
The tumor was removed in 2006 and Yao finally stopped growing, but the tumor grew back and her family was unable to afford another surgery to remove it.
Yao was very unhappy with her unnatural height during her lifetime.
In a video from three years ago she said, "I am very unhappy. Why am I this tall? If I were not this tall, others would not look at me like this.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
