dam Rainer is the only person in history who was both a dwarf and a giant during his lifetime. Adam was a little over 4 feet tall at the age of 21. Many people have theorized that Adam wanted he could get taller because he was a giant at the time of his death, standing over 7 feet tall. However, his unusual height was followed by numerous complications, exemplifying the adage “be careful what you wish for.”

From Dwarf to Giant

Adam Rainer was born in Graz, Austria in 1899. Adam’s personal life is largely unknown. This is because their fascination with his life stems from his unusual condition, which caused him to be both a dwarf and a giant during his existence. Aside from this point, nothing else about his life piqued the public’s curiosity.

Both of Adam’s parents were of ordinary height. Adam enlisted in the army when World War I broke out in 1914. Adam was barely 4 feet 6 inches tall at this stage. Doctors classed him as a dwarf because of his height, making him too weak to be a productive soldier.

They saw him as a liability rather than a valuable contribution to the army.

Despite being denied admittance into the army, Adam was adamant about serving. Adam had grown 2 inches in height and entered in the army again a year later. He was turned down again because of his height.

Dwarfism is commonly defined as a height of 4 feet 10 inches or less. Adam was barely 4 feet 8 inches tall at the age of 19. As a result, he was still categorized as a dwarf. His medical records also reveal that he was extremely skinny.

Despite his tiny stature and thinness, Adam had unusually huge hands and feet. His hands were 23.9 cm long (9.4 inches). It has been reported that when Adam first attempted to enlist in the army, he wore shoes measuring an EU 43. (US 10). By the time he tried to enlist in the army for the second time, his shoe size had doubled to an EU 53 (US 20). This was an unusually enormous shoe size for a man of his diminutive stature.

Adam began growing at an alarming rate at the age of 21, when most people cease growing. Adam stood 7 feet 2 inches tall when he was 33 years old in 1932. Along with his rapid growth, Adam developed a severe spinal curvature.

What caused this strange phenomenon

Doctors were taken aback by Adam’s rapid growth. Two doctors in particular began testing and evaluating Adam to determine the source of his rapid growth spurt. Dr. Mandl and Dr. Windholz determined that Adam suffered from acromegaly. This was caused by a tumour on Adam’s pituitary gland.

Acromegaly is a hormonal condition caused by the pituitary gland producing excessive growth hormone during maturity. When this happens, the bones, especially those in the hands, feet, and face, grow in size. Famous wrestlers with the disease include Andre the Giant and The Great Khali.

Adam exhibited the classic features of an acromegaly patient. His huge hands and feet were among them. Because of his bulging forehead and jaw, his face was extremely extended. Furthermore, his lips were much thicker than the usual human’s, and his teeth were widely spaced.

Dr. Mandl and Dr. Windholz decided to operate on Adam in order to remove the tumour and prevent further growth. They were aware that the operation had a minimal probability of success because the tumour had been developing for almost ten years at this point.

Adam was measured months following his procedure. He hadn’t gotten any taller, but his spinal curvature had deteriorated, indicating that he was still developing, albeit at a considerably slower rate.

Adam’s health deteriorated as he developed hearing loss and went blind in his right eye. Adam was likewise confined to a bed as his spinal curvature worsened. He spent the remainder of his life in bed.

Adam passed away on March 4, 1950. He was only 51 years old. Adam stood 7 feet 8 inches tall at the time of his death. He is the only man in history who has been both a dwarf and a giant during his lifetime.