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The world's tallest woman, Yao Defen, dies (VIDEO)

Allison Jackson | GlobalPost.com |

from: alaskadispatch.com

Dec 05, 2012

The world’s tallest woman has died, the Associated Press reported.

Yao Defen, certified in January 2010 by the Guinness World Records as the world’s tallest living woman at 7 feet and 7 inches, died at her home in China’s eastern province of Anhui on November 13.

The AP said Yao was 39, while other reports put her age at 40.

The Daily Mail reported Yao developed gigantism due to a tumor on her pituitary gland and by the age of 15 stood at more than 6 feet 6 inches.

The tumor was removed in 2006 and Yao stopped growing, but it returned the following year and her family could not afford another operation, the newspaper said.

Given her height, it was hoped that Yao would have a career as a basketball player but the strain of carrying her massive frame was too much for her heart and lungs, the Shanghaiist reported.

For a period of time she worked in a circus freak show.

The AP said Yao’s height caused her great anguish.

“I am very unhappy. Why am I this tall?" she said in a Chinese language video three years ago.

"If I were not this tall, others would not look at me like this."

http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/worlds-tallest-woman-yao-defen-dies-video