Tears As Tallest Man in US Igor Vovkovinskiy Dies at Age 38 of Heart Disease

• Guinness World Record holder for Tallest Man in The US, Igor Vovkovinskiy, has died in the hospital
• Igor's mother, Svetlana Vovkovinska, confirmed the news on Facebook, adding that the 38-year-old succumbed to heart disease
• Vovkovinskiy made headlines at a campaign by former US president Barack Obama when he was spotted wearing an outfit written "World's Biggest Obama Supporter"

Igor Vovkovinskiy made an entry into the Guinness Book of Records in 2010 for being the tallest living person in America.

Vovkovinskiy, who stood at 7 feet, 8.33 inches tall (2 meters, 34.5 centimetres) died aged 38 from heart disease at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, CNN reports.

Remained Humorous to The Last Minute

News of his demise was shared on Facebook by his mother, Svetlana Vovkovinska, who works as an ICU nurse at the medical facility.

She added that Vovkovinskiy's brother Oleh, wife Alla and children were with him to the very last minute.

She wrote:

"Igor was glad to see them, and although it was difficult for him to speak, he tried to joke about his nephew Andriy, whether he had learned the Ukrainian language in a month in Ukraine."

President Obama Campaign

Vovkovinskiy became a celebrity at former US President Barack Obama's campaign in 2009 when the president noticed him towering above the rest with a T-shirt written "World's Biggest Obama Supporter."

He was entered into the Guinness World Records at the age of 27 after edging out a Virginia police officer George Bell by one-third of an inch.

Another notable moment in his life came in 2013 when he carried the Ukrainian contestant to the podium to take part in the Eurovision Song Contest.

Had Trouble with Shoes, Cars

One of the biggest challenges with having such a height was that Vovkovinskiy struggled to get shoes that could fit him.

In 2012, he sent an appeal for well-wishers to help him raise an estimated $16,000 to pay for specially-made shoes because the rest caused him pain.

At the time, his shoe was size 26, 10E, and as much as he received donations that doubled whatever he had requested, he was given a free custom-made pair by Reebok.

Vovkovinskiy also revealed that he found it difficult to get into vehicles due to his height.

Ukrainian by Birth

The late Vovkovinskiy was born on September 8, 1982, in Bar, Ukraine but moved to Rochester in 1989 in search of treatment for a tumour that was affecting his pituitary gland.

He was born to his mother Svetlana Vovkovinska and father Oleksandr Ladan, who is now deceased, according to the Voice of America.

Another very tall man

Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that a young boy named Charles Sogli who resides at Ho in the Volta Region in Ghana has been given royalty treatment after he went viral for being called the tallest man in Ghana.

Sharing the video on the YouTube channel, Odana Network, a group of benevolent ladies took Charles to the Royal Senchi Resort, Ghana.

In the heartwarming documentary that was taken to show how everything unfolded, the ladies also promised to give Charles the life he truly deserves, which is beyond the imagination of many.

Source: Legit.ng