The man who keeps growing and dreams of becoming the tallest in the world

Sulemana Abdul Samed, 29, lives in northern Ghana and suffers from a condition known as Marfan syndrome.

When I heard rumors that there was a new candidate for world’s tallest man in northern Ghana, I started to find out if that was true. The only problem I encountered? How to measure your height.

A local hospital in northern Ghana told 29-year-old Sulemana Abdul Samed, after a recent checkup, that he was 2.89 meters tall.

That would have made him the tallest man alive, but there was a problem: the rural clinic couldn’t be sure of his height because they didn’t have the proper measuring tools.

Diagnosed with gigantism a few years ago, the young man was in the midst of his monthly appointment to address complications from the condition when he was asked to object to a measuring ruler.

A nurse was surprised and told him: “You have outgrown the ruler.”

Better known by his nickname Awuche, which means “let’s go” in Hausa, he was baffled by the reaction it was causing.

He wasn’t surprised to learn that he was taller, as he never stopped growing, but he felt this caused consternation in the team, who weren’t prepared for such a scenario.

The nurse on duty called her colleague, who in turn called for help from another. Before long, a group of nurses and orderlies gathered to solve the mystery and determine her height.

Someone suggested finding a stick and using it as an extension on top of the existing measuring rod to measure its height, which is how they arrived at their estimate.

‘Still growing’

When I first came across Awuche a few months ago on a trip to northern Ghana, where his fame has spread across the region’s grasslands, I didn’t bring a tape measure with me to check his height.

To solve the problem, I returned to the village of Gambaga, armed with a 16-foot meter.

The plan was for him to lean against a wall, for me to mark where the top of his head was, and then we would measure his height with the tape measure.

“The way they measure me, I can’t say everything is perfect,” Awuche admitted, happy with my plan to get an exact height.

A small problem was finding a wall high enough. It was taller than most of the houses in its neighborhood, but after a good search we found a suitable building with a wall of sufficient height.

He takes off his shoes – huge rubber slippers made from a car tire that have been custom made by a local handyman, as he can’t find suitable shoes.

During the measurement, one of his neighbors climbed onto a wooden stool to reach Awuche’s height and mark the wall with a lump of charcoal.

We then steadily stretched the tape measure from the marked line to the floor, while Awuche anxiously watched.

“Awuche, the tape measure says 7 feet 4 inches (2.14m),” I said.

With her unique smile, she replied, “Wow, what does that mean?”

“Well, the tallest man in the world is 8 feet 2.8 inches (2.50m), he’s only a foot taller than you.”

I was referring to 40-year-old Sultan Kösen, who lives in Turkey and holds the current Guinness Book of Records.

“I’m still growing. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll be able to reach that height myself,” Awuche commented, unfazed by the discrepancy with the measurement provided to him by the hospital.

“Every three or four months, I grow… If you haven’t seen me in three or four months, you know I’ve grown when you see me,” he explains.

Marfan syndrome

This increase in height started to be noticed when he was 22 years old and living in the capital, Accra.

Awuche had moved from his village to try his luck in the city – where one of his brothers lived – after finishing high school.

She has Marfan syndrome, a rare connective tissue disorder that causes abnormalities in the bones, eyes and other parts of the body, such as the spine.

He worked in a butcher shop, saving money to pay for driving school.

But one morning he woke up confused: “I realized that my tongue had expanded in my mouth to the point that I could no longer breathe. [adequadamente]”, count.

Went to a local pharmacy for medicine; days later he noticed that all the other parts of his body started to increase in size as well.

When family and friends from his village visited the city, they all commented on its growth. It was then that he realized that he was gradually turning into a giant.

Awuche began to stand out from everyone else and sought medical attention due to other complications from growing up

His spine has curved abnormally, one of the symptoms of his condition, which is caused by mutations in the gene that codes for a protein called fibrillin.

This results in abnormally long limbs. The most serious complications involve heart problems.

Doctors say he has to have brain surgery to stop the growth.

But Ghana’s public health insurance does not cover surgeries, providing only basic care.

Six years ago, health problems forced Awuche to return to his hometown and give up on his dream of becoming a pilot.

“I was planning to go to driving school, but even when I adjust the seat backwards, I can’t hold the steering wheel… I can’t straighten my leg because my knee will hit the steering wheel.”

He now lives with a brother and has managed to start a small business selling cell phone credits.

His height also reduced his social life.

“I used to play soccer like any other youngster, I was athletic, but now I can’t even walk short distances,” he explains.

a local celebrity

But Awuche doesn’t let her problems get her down. He is filled with hope as his tall, lean body makes its way through the dusty lanes of the village, smiling when people call out to him.

He’s kind of a local celebrity.

A group of elderly people sitting next to a shed exchange greetings, children say hello, some women approach to hug and make fun of him.

Some people ask to take selfies with him – even strangers come up to ask if he’s the “giant” they’ve seen on social media.

“I usually say, ‘Yes, come closer’; we stop and take good pictures,” Awuche reports.

He is very grateful to his family for their emotional support, saying he knows of no other relatives, including his three brothers, who show signs of having the condition.

“None of them are tall, I’m the tallest man.”

He would like to get married and have kids someday, but he wants to focus on taking care of his health first.

His priority is to try to raise money to treat a serious skin condition on his leg, ankle and foot caused by overgrowth of the limb.

Looking down at her bound toes, Awuche refuses to let her situation deter her.

“That’s what Allah chose for me, I’m fine. I have no problem with how God created me.”

– Text originally published in https://www.bbc.com/portuguese/geral-64144725

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Source: Terra

Ben

Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.