Brave Story of Tanya Angus
- by Anjali Sharma
This is one of my favourite quotes from The Karate Kid (2010) movie. When i came to know about Tanya Angus, Las Vegas, Nevada, this quote came into my mind as she fought her sufferings like a warrior and helped many people.
Tanya - One of the world's tallest and heaviest woman.
Tanya Angus had Acromegaly and was the only patient of acromegaly known in the world who was unable to be treated by various surgeries and medication to control her growth hormone and stop her growth.
Tanya - One of the world's tallest and heaviest woman.
It is a syndrome in which pituitary gland produces the human growth hormone in excessive amount. Inside her pituitary gland, a brain tumor grew which caused over production of growth hormone. Doctors did multiple surgeries to remove and cure the brain tumor but unfortunately it repeatedly grew back.
Tanya's Sufferings
It is an uncommon form of disorder which causes the patient to grow to huge proportions. It was a life threatening problem for her. Generally, patients suffering from acromegaly (also known as gigantism) are very tall but in Tanya case her entire body grew in proportion. Her shoe size was double from a standard UK size 6 to UK 14. Because of her rapid growth her organs were at great risk. Tanya also quested for a cure through a TV show Bodyshock series as "HELP! I'M TURNING INTO A GIANT".
Because of her rapid growth she no longer looked feminine. Her voice also changed and became deeper. People use to stare at her and doubt about her sex. They use to ask her, weather she was a man before. These questions were horrible for her which made her quite shy and insecure. Her life was no longer normal, her dream of having a boy friend, a job, an apartment became merely a dream.
She suffered from severe chronic pain and to control and cure the pain, heavy dose of painful pain killer injections became the part of her daily life. Doctors prescribed her dozens of medicines to be consumed daily.
Average count of the growth hormone in adult human is 250 but Tanya's hormone count was 3000, and that was the big reason to worry.Doctors were anxious about the continuous increasing level of growth hormones and were trying to bring the level down to 1000 but they were not able to do that. She was not able to walk properly and was on wheel chair. She lived with her step dad and dedicated mother who took care of her and loved her the most. More than $ 250,000 were spent on her treatment.Many people donated funds for medical expense and treatment of Tanya.
Tanya's Legacy - Courageous Good Work - Helping the Acromegaly Victims like her
Despite of her own sufferings and pain Tanya decided to help the other Acromegaly patients and to spread awareness and knowledge. With the help of her mother she created her own website www.tanyaangus.com to help others like her. She shared her story, and shared the signs and symptoms of Acromegaly and Pituitary tumors,so that they can be diagnosed earlier and can be given cure and treatment at the right time.
She wanted that more and more people should get aware and should not suffer the way she suffered.
She use to get thousands of e-mail from the readers and patients, thanking her for helping them to get aware of their Acromegaly symptoms. Her idea of helping others and her efforts became fruitful.
Tanya Angus once said about her good work, when asked by media - "I'm doing my job, I'm getting the word out about this condition and that's all i ever wanted to do. And i just want to yell at the top of my lungs you know, 'I' have helped somebody, you know?' And its just such a good feeling."
Ray of hope for Tanya Angus
Doctors told her that she will get to 30 years before she die but even she celebrated her 31st birthday by the time she was almost 7 feet tall. After many years for the first time doctors discovered the new combination of drugs that reduced her level of hormone from 3000 to 500 counts. That doesn't mean that she would shrink back to normal but it was freedom from growing anymore.
She was happy and she said-"I know i won't get any smaller, but if i don't get any bigger, that's a great comfort to me".
She was hoping that her future will be better and she can plan for future.
Rest in peace Tanya Angus - 14, January 2013 (34 years)
Tanya Angus died on 14, January 2013 at 12:25 am, due to her heart and TIA.
I believe we come on this earth for some purpose,either to learn or to help.Our life is a learning for us or may be the inspiration for others and either side its a win-win situation because off-course destiny,fate or you can say God has plans for us.
And that's what Tanya Angus' brave story communicate to the world. This was not merely a story of a girl but a fighter spirit who despite of pain and struggle gave hope and wings to people to fight back.
She was and will remain an Epitome of strength.
"I think people like her are called, - LARGER THAN LIFE, REST IN PEACE ANGEL " <3
~ Anjali Sharma
Tanya's Sufferings
Because of her rapid growth she no longer looked feminine. Her voice also changed and became deeper. People use to stare at her and doubt about her sex. They use to ask her, weather she was a man before. These questions were horrible for her which made her quite shy and insecure. Her life was no longer normal, her dream of having a boy friend, a job, an apartment became merely a dream.
She suffered from severe chronic pain and to control and cure the pain, heavy dose of painful pain killer injections became the part of her daily life. Doctors prescribed her dozens of medicines to be consumed daily.
Tanya's Legacy - Courageous Good Work - Helping the Acromegaly Victims like her
Despite of her own sufferings and pain Tanya decided to help the other Acromegaly patients and to spread awareness and knowledge. With the help of her mother she created her own website www.tanyaangus.com to help others like her. She shared her story, and shared the signs and symptoms of Acromegaly and Pituitary tumors,so that they can be diagnosed earlier and can be given cure and treatment at the right time.
She wanted that more and more people should get aware and should not suffer the way she suffered.
She use to get thousands of e-mail from the readers and patients, thanking her for helping them to get aware of their Acromegaly symptoms. Her idea of helping others and her efforts became fruitful.
Tanya Angus once said about her good work, when asked by media - "I'm doing my job, I'm getting the word out about this condition and that's all i ever wanted to do. And i just want to yell at the top of my lungs you know, 'I' have helped somebody, you know?' And its just such a good feeling."
Ray of hope for Tanya Angus
She was happy and she said-"I know i won't get any smaller, but if i don't get any bigger, that's a great comfort to me".
She was hoping that her future will be better and she can plan for future.
Rest in peace Tanya Angus - 14, January 2013 (34 years)
Tanya Angus died on 14, January 2013 at 12:25 am, due to her heart and TIA.
I believe we come on this earth for some purpose,either to learn or to help.Our life is a learning for us or may be the inspiration for others and either side its a win-win situation because off-course destiny,fate or you can say God has plans for us.
And that's what Tanya Angus' brave story communicate to the world. This was not merely a story of a girl but a fighter spirit who despite of pain and struggle gave hope and wings to people to fight back.
She was and will remain an Epitome of strength.
"I think people like her are called, - LARGER THAN LIFE, REST IN PEACE ANGEL " <3
~ Anjali Sharma
