As a 6-year-old she measured 172 cm. Now it doesn’t fit in a car and needs 6 seats on a plane

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Rumeysa Gelgi was born on January 1, 1997 in Turkey. She was the first confirmed case of Weaver syndrome in the country. This is a rare condition that causes abnormally rapid bone growth. and according to the National Organization for Rare Diseases, only 50 people are reported to have the disease.

The tallest woman in the world. Rumeysa Gelgi has as many as five records on her account

Rumeysa Gelgi was declared the tallest woman in the world in October 2021 by the Guinness Book of Records, measuring 215.6 cm. But it wasn’t the first time she set a world record for tall height. She also did this in 2014, when she was announced as the tallest living teenager in the world. Interestingly, the 26-year-old also holds several other world records that were verified in 2022, including:

• Longest finger of a living person (female): 11.2 cm,
• The largest hands of a living person (female): her right hand is 24.93 cm and her left is 24.26 cm,
• Longest back of a living person (female): 59.90 cm.

Gelgi, when she was six years old, was already 172 cm tall. As she described she felt like a “child trapped in an adult’s body”. Throughout her life, she also struggled with a number of health problems, including a heart defect and scoliosis, which required surgical intervention. Due to a rare disease, she had to study at home while waiting for further treatments. Her relationships with her peers suffered as a result.

It was not an easy journey. I didn’t have any friends because I was so different from kids my age, but I made it.

He currently works as a front-end developer and in his free time he likes to swim, go shopping, discover new places and cuddle with his cat.

Five-time record holder. What does her everyday life look like?

Everyday life is not so simple for Rumeysa Gelgi. Many things require special adaptation to her needs. The 26-year-old cannot drive a car, so she is transported in a van instead. Due to his condition, he usually uses a wheelchairbut is also able to walk with a walker, albeit for a short time.

What’s more, her house has special made-to-measure furniture, because her height makes it impossible to fit standard options. Gelgi has a bed, chair and desk adapted to her height. Dresses are her favorite piece of clothing, but she also has to adjust them properly and usually make them to size. Traveling by plane was also out of reach for many years. In 2022, however, the dream of traveling was realized. Turkish Air agreed to customize six seats on the plane specifically for Gelga and let her lie down on them on a special stretcher.