How tall was the gentle giant

It was a brutal end to the dream of a better life which brought the family of Dmitry Hrynkevich to Ireland. Dmitry was savagely attacked in the Killeen Wood estate in Tralee last Wednesday evening. The attack ended only when the young man had sustained horrific head injuries.

His hard-working parents had emigrated from Russia and settled in Killarney. Dmitry attended both primary and secondary schools in the Kerry town. But his gigantism was apparent well before his teens. Get ahead of the day with the morning headlines at 7. Enter email address This field is required Sign Up. Such hormones are vital in transforming children into young adults — but even the slightest over-production of them can result in limbs stretching to huge proportions.

In some cases, gigantism is caused by a tumour on the pituitary gland which causes over-production of those key hormones. However, the major consequences of the condition are usually social and psychological, with many so-called giants growing to hate their height.

Incessantly bullied over his height, the shy young Russian at first tried to ignore those who picked on him. Not long after he left school, Dmitry began to make appearances at district courts in Kerry related to a host of petty issues. A lot of the time, he would only speak if he was spoken to. But when he spoke to you, he always tried to be polite and make eye contact. The young man became well known in Killarney and Tralee — often simply walking down the road, he would bring traffic to a halt.

Get the Insider App. Click here to learn more. A leading-edge research firm focused on digital transformation. Talia Lakritz. Robert Wadlow was the tallest man to ever live at eight feet He had his shoes and clothes custom made.

He died in at age 22 from an infected blister due to an ill-fitting brace. Robert Wadlow was known as the "Gentle Giant. Due to an overactive pituitary gland that produced high levels of growth hormone, he grew at a rapid rate.

By age nine, he could carry his father up the stairs of his home. He became a local celebrity in Alton — and then a national one. Robert's father Harold was his manager and accompanied him on a nationwide tour.