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Colombian giant asks for help

By Manuel Rueda, Editorial Director

Friday, April 21, 2010

A young man from Bucaramanga is asking for help from non-profit organizations and private donors so he can get an operation that will stop his growth. 

Twenty four year old Asdrubal Herrera measures 2 meters 24 cm and grows 2 to 3 centimeters every four months, making him possibly the tallest man in Colombia. 

But Herrera´s tallness has only caused complications in his life, preventing him from finishing high school and even from participating in basketball teams.

“When I was 11 I already measured 1meter 73cm, while my schoolmates hardly reached 1,55” he told El Tiempo. “They would make fun of me constantly, making me feel depressed. I also had permanent nauseas that did not allow me to study.”

Herrera´s condition has also led to tumors and hypertiroidism. He must duck to enter houses and must sit sideways in buses because there is not enough leg space for him. He wears size 50 shoes that he must import from the US and his condition makes it hard for him to be employed.

“Recently he got a job at a shoe factory, but he was fired in no time because when he got up to get some materials he almost took down the roof ventilator with his head” said his sister Olga Herrera. 

Asdrubal´s excessive size makes him suffer from back pains and fatigue, he was invited to train with several basketball academies but failed to become an effective player because he tires out too quickly.

Herrera´s condition could be stopped through operations currently not available in Colombia, but his family lacks the funds to send him overseas, so they are asking for donations to send him to a special treatment center in Cuba. 

Those interested in helping Colombia´s tallest man, can write to the following email accounts: