Closer to Heaven

Did you happen to see that America’s tallest man — Igor Vovkovinskiy — just passed away?

Igor, who was 7 feet 8.3 inches tall, died too young at age 38.

News reports said Igor suffered from several health issues, eventually dying from heart disease.

But beyond those medical challenges, Igor also had to live a life in which just finding clothes that fit and having people stare at him every minute of his life — was probably not that enjoyable.

Some may believe that being a “giant” would be nonstop fun. But the reality, I’m sure, is much different.

“Giants,” like Igor and the tallest man ever known — Robert Wadlow — are really just humans like you and me. They undoubtedly have most of the same hopes and fears and dreams that we all have.

But for these humans, just wanting to live a “normal” life was likely a dream that could never come true.

Igor, originally from Ukraine, came to the United States in 1989 when he was just six years old and already 6 feet tall. Reports said his height was the result of a tumor pushing on his pituitary gland, making it churn out abnormal levels of growth hormone.

One thing we know Igor dreamed of was having shoes that fit his size 24 feet. His constantly growing feet caused him to need more than a dozen foot surgeries, along with bigger and bigger shoes that had to be custom-made.

Reebok ultimately gave Igor three pairs of the size 24 custom shoes, and the sweet gesture apparently changed his life.

He once told an interviewer that the comfortable shoes would make it possible for him to run more errands for his Mom.

Robert Wadlow was more than a foot taller than Igor — at 8 feet 11 inches — but came by his height in a similar fashion.

Like Igor, Wadlow’s pituitary gland also secreted high levels of growth hormone — and he became the world’s tallest Boy Scout at age 13 when he was just 7 feet 4 inches.

Perhaps unfortunately, Wadlow — born in 1918 — lived in a much different world than today. Back then, people who looked unusual were often exploited by those who would make a buck on their affliction.

That happened to Wadlow, when — in 1936 — Ringling Brothers Circus offered him a spot in their freaks (I know, a terrible word) exhibition.

His circus fame made him a national celebrity, and Wadlow apparently didn’t mind the attention.

But — as with Igor — Wadlow’s huge body eventually was the death of him.

Wadlow died in 1940 from an unnoticed infection in one of his long legs. He was only 22 years old.

Wadlow’s life was very short, but he bore his condition nobly and with little complaint. And his hometown of Alton, Ill, — recognizing that innate nobility — erected a statue in honor of its native son.

No word on whether Igor — another gentle giant who tried to fit into a world not made for him — will get one.

Originally published at https://www.stevenvporter.com on August 26, 2021.