Photo: Haraz N Ghanbari/AP/Shutterstock
Igor Vovkovinskiy, the tallest man in the United States at 7 feet, 8 inches, has died, according to his mother. He was 38.
Igor’s mom, Svetlana Vovkovinska,confirmed the news in a post on Facebookalongside a heartbreaking photo of her hugging Igor as he lay in a hospital bed.
“Igor died on August 20 at 22:17 pm in hospital from heart disease,” she wrote in the post. “He and his older brother Oleh were with him until the end. His last dinner was: a piece of Kyiv cake and Fanta.”
Nati Harnik/AP/Shutterstock
Born on Sept. 8, 1982, in Ukraine, Vovkovinskiy moved to the United States in 1989, seeking medical treatment for a brain tumor, according toUSA Todayand theAssociated Press.
The tumor was pressing up against Vovkovinskiy’s pituitary gland, which caused it to secrete abnormal levels of growth hormone, the outlets reported.
His height ultimately caught the attention of millions around the world, including former PresidentBarack Obama, who noticed him wearing a T-shirt that read, “World’s Biggest Obama Supporter” at a campaign rally in 2009,USA Todayreported.
“It feels good to finally have proof that I am the Tallest Man in America,” hesaid at the time in a press release. “Everyone is always asking me if I’m certain that I’m the tallest and I was never able to prove it. Now that I have this certificate to hang on my wall, I could finally show it!”
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Two years later, Vovkovinskiy made a public plea to help him buy specially-made shoes that would fit him in a size 26, 10E, the AP reported.
Though the shoes cost an estimated $16,000 to make, Vovkovinskiy said he needed them because he never had a pair that fit properly and didn’t cause pain, according to the AP.
Thousands ended up donating, helping him obtain more than double of what he needed, and Reebok later provided the custom shoes for free, the AP reported.
During his lifetime, Vovkovinskiy “enjoyed spending time with his family and friends, occasional fishing and traveling, and helping the Ukrainian Army in any way he could,” according tohis obituary.
source: people.com
