The Life of a Giant Imagine what it would be like to be a giant, towering over your peers, struggling with everyday tasks because you are too big for everything. This is what Robert Wadlow had to deal with everyday, but he was not imagining; this was his reality. Robert was born a normal eight and a half pound boy in his little Alton home. He drew attention to himself at six months of age, weighing in at thirty pounds, and kept growing until he stood five feet four inches, and 130 pounds by the time he entered kindergarten. Throughout his life growing up to become the world’s tallest man, many of his possessions had to be modified or changed for Robert’s use.
Robert’s troubles started early in life. Robert Wadlow was born a normal boy on …show more content…
The July 1940 evening before Robert left Alton for the final time was a typical night for the Wadlow family (Brannan 102). Little did they know, this would be their last chance to see Alton’s favorite son (Brannan 102). Since Robert was so tall he needed braces on his legs so he could walk. Robert was used to the occasional rash he sometimes got when a brace decided to rub his leg. Before Robert and his father left Alton for the last time, Robert noticed a blister on his leg where a brace was rubbing (Brannan 103). Since Robert was not on his feet much during tour, the blister caused no immediate danger… or so they thought (Brannan 103). On July 3, 1940 the blister worsened, causing an infection,which later confined Robert to the hotel bed at the hotel he was currently staying at (Brannan 103). Robert Wadlow died in his sleep peacefully at the age of twenty-two at 12:40 a.m. on July 15, 1940, never fully recovering from his infection (Brannan 104). One of the first problems the Wadlow family had was finding a casket for Robert to fit in (Brannan 104). One of Harald Sr.’s brothers, Cecil Wadlow, who was an undertaker in Lincoln, Nebraska, recommended a metal casket made by the Grand Traverse Metal Casket Company, in Traverse City, Nebraska (Brannan 105). His casket was ten and a half feet long, by thirty-two inches wide, by thirty inches deep and fitted with a
Robert’s troubles started early in life. Robert Wadlow was born a normal boy on …show more content…
The July 1940 evening before Robert left Alton for the final time was a typical night for the Wadlow family (Brannan 102). Little did they know, this would be their last chance to see Alton’s favorite son (Brannan 102). Since Robert was so tall he needed braces on his legs so he could walk. Robert was used to the occasional rash he sometimes got when a brace decided to rub his leg. Before Robert and his father left Alton for the last time, Robert noticed a blister on his leg where a brace was rubbing (Brannan 103). Since Robert was not on his feet much during tour, the blister caused no immediate danger… or so they thought (Brannan 103). On July 3, 1940 the blister worsened, causing an infection,which later confined Robert to the hotel bed at the hotel he was currently staying at (Brannan 103). Robert Wadlow died in his sleep peacefully at the age of twenty-two at 12:40 a.m. on July 15, 1940, never fully recovering from his infection (Brannan 104). One of the first problems the Wadlow family had was finding a casket for Robert to fit in (Brannan 104). One of Harald Sr.’s brothers, Cecil Wadlow, who was an undertaker in Lincoln, Nebraska, recommended a metal casket made by the Grand Traverse Metal Casket Company, in Traverse City, Nebraska (Brannan 105). His casket was ten and a half feet long, by thirty-two inches wide, by thirty inches deep and fitted with a