Some titles may sound prestigious, but for Jeison Rodríguez, being known as 'the man with the world's largest feet' carries quite the opposite meaning. Each growing pain serves as a reminder of his continually growing body. Jeison, who has to duck to pass through doors, struggles to find suitable shoes, and sometimes finds it difficult to carry his own weight, has spent his life battling not only his condition but also the stares of others.
Let's delve into his poignant story...
By the time he turned ten, he began to grow rapidly, and by the age of twelve, he was diagnosed with 'acrogigantism'. His pituitary gland in the brain was producing more growth hormone than necessary. Still a child, he had already grown taller than his mother, and his shoe size had reached 50.
His school life, however, was a living nightmare. At his school in Palo Negro, his classmates would mock him, calling him 'monster, bigfoot'. Being spat on, pushed around, and ostracized became part of his daily routine. He attempted suicide three times, but each time, he managed to hold on to life with the support of his family and faith.
At the age of 20, he was officially recognized by the Guinness Book of Records as 'the man with the largest feet in the world'. This brought him a moment of joy, but he soon discovered that this title did not come with any monetary reward. He had a certificate, but he still struggled to make ends meet.
Finding shoes was one of his biggest challenges. Since the age of 14, he had been walking in simple slippers he made from fabric, which would fall apart within weeks, leaving him to walk barefoot most of the time. This continued until he was reached by Georg Wessels, an orthopedic shoe manufacturer from Germany.
Wessels personally delivered three suitcases full of custom-made shoes to Venezuela. Now, Jeison could walk, go outside, and even travel to Europe. In 2020, when he went to France for a 'gathering of giants', he said, 'for the first time, I felt normal'.
Now standing at 2.38 meters, he is the tallest man in Latin America and the second tallest in the world. He needs to find $1500 every two months for his treatment; otherwise, he starts to experience headaches, seizures, and memory loss.
Jeison now lives his life in the city of Barranquilla, Colombia. He earns his living by performing in shows at an amusement park.