A 2m 30cm man who was so embarrassed about his height he spent half his life hiding away at home, has now found love – with a woman almost 1 meter smaller than him in Paraiba, Brazil.
Joelison Fernandes da Silva has been described as Brazil’s gentle giant and is officially the country’s tallest man, after he developed gigantism as a child. Despite his towering stature, he was bullied as a teen and, after dropping out of school, became a virtually recluse to avoid people’s stares.
However, since having an operation at the age of 21 to remove a benign tumour on his pituitary gland, his condition is now under control and he has grown in confidence. He even became a bit of a celebrity in his hometown and began to attract admirers, including 21-year-old Evem Medeiros, whose height is just 1m 52cm.
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But difference in size is no obstacle to their romance. Joelison says of Evem: “The day I saw her I think it was love at first sight. I was charmed by her. I wanted to be with her all the time. It didn’t matter about her size. She was basically my first woman. The first woman of my life. I was 28. I thought everything about her was beautiful – but especially her eyes. She is very caring. She doesn’t show it when the cameras are here but she is caring and truthful.”
A year after their first date they got married and now trying for a baby, which has brought some unwelcome questions about Joelison’s proportions. Aside from family planning they also struggle to work together on basic chores like cooking, cleaning and shopping as Joelison’s height makes it difficult for him to stand up for long periods of time.
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There’s only one cloud on the horizon for the happy couple – Joelison’s mother, who is struggling to let ‘her baby’ go. She said: “I got really jealous when he got married because I dedicated my life to him and when I had to share him with someone else it really wasn’t easy – but as a mother I want him to be happy. With his treatment, I’m still the one who takes care of that, I haven’t delegated it to that girl yet. But I will once she gets used to things.”
Joelison still has monthly injections and four-types of daily medication to control his condition and is likely to need even more care as he gets older. However, he has still plans to fulfil many of his dreams, including having a family and travelling abroad.