Yao Defen
The Guinness Book of World Records said American Sandy Allen was the the world's tallest woman until Allen's death on August 13, 2008, but dispute Defen's claim. She weighs about 200 kg (440 lbs). Her gigantism is due to a tumor in her pituitary gland.
Early life
Yao Defen was born to poor farmers in the town of Liuan in the Anhui province of Shucheng County.
At age 3 she was eating more than three times the amount of food that other three-year-olds were eating. She was 6 foot 8 inches tall by the age of 15.
The story of this "woman giant" began to spread rapidly after she went to see a doctor at age 15 for an illness.
After that, many companies attempted to train her to be a sports star. Because she is illiterate, since 1992 Yao Defen has been forced to earn a living by traveling with her father and performing.
Yao Defen's giant stature was caused by a large tumor in the pituitary gland of her brain, which was releasing too much growth hormone and caused excessive growth in her bones.
Six years ago, a hospital in Guangzhou Province removed the tumor, and she stopped growing.
The tumor returned and she was treated in Shanghai in 2007, but was sent home for 6 months with the hope that medication would reduce her tumor enough to allow surgery. It remains unknown if the second surgery was ever performed.
Circus work
She signed on with a circus to make a living and help support her mother.
She fell during performances and he refused to take her to a doctor. Her health got worse and her boss became angry with her due to her declining job performance.
After the death of her father and because of her continuing decline in health, she asked to go home. When her contract had expired, she again asked to go home but instead was taken back to the mountain.
Finally the boss let her go home, where she lived with her mother and brother, almost totally bedridden and barely ambulatory due to her fragile bone structure and a heart condition.
Help
A British television programme filmed a documentary on her and helped raise money so she could get proper medical care. She returned home, then was admitted for a month under observation in the larger Shanghai Ruijin Hospital, and given dietary supplements.
In that hospital, her growth hormone was greatly slowed down, although it is still a problem. Upon her return home to her mother and brother, she was able to walk with crutches, unassisted by others, and was given a six-month supply of medicines and supplements in hopes of improving her condition enough to undergo surgery.
Acromegaly
Yao currently suffers from hypertension, heart disease, poor nutrition, and osteoporosis.
Acromegaly often results from a tumor within the pituitary gland that causes excess growth hormone secretion.