| Before she died in August 2008, Sandra Allen was | | | | Defen can only sit up straight for an hour and |
| identified by the Guinness Book of World Records | | | | suffers from heart disease, hypertension, |
| as the world's tallest woman. Standing at 7 ft 7 1 | | | | osteoporosis and poor nutrition. |
| 4", Allen, who was born in Chicago, U.S.A, | | | | Allen was 53 when she passed away at a nursing |
| developed a tumour in her pituitary gland when | | | | home in Indiana. She appeared in the movies Side |
| she was very young causing uncontrollable | | | | Show and Fellini's Casanova which won an |
| hormone growth. | | | | Academy Award for best costume in 1976. She |
| Many though, identified Yao Defen from China as | | | | also appeared on Being Different, The World's |
| the world's tallest female although her actual | | | | Tallest Woman and Me, Extraordinary People and |
| height was disputed. Like Allen, Defen had a | | | | Inside Extraordinary Humans : The Science of |
| tumour which caused her to grow to a massive | | | | Gigantism. |
| height. By the age of eleven she had already | | | | When Allen was 22 years old, she had surgery to |
| reached 6 ft 2". | | | | abort her growth. If not she would have |
| Both women have suffered major health | | | | continued growing. |
| problems. Allen had to use a wheelchair because | | | | Defen who was born in 1972 is now classed as |
| her body couldn't support her gigantic frame and | | | | the tallest woman in the world at a height of 7 ft |
| was prone to infections and breathing difficulties | | | | 9". She still lives in a small rural village in China with |
| plus she suffered from diabetes and kidney failure. | | | | her mother. |