| credit: Santi Rodriguez / Alamy |
Now, at 25 years old, Gelgi still reigns supreme as the tallest woman in the world at 7ft and 0.7", per Guinness World Records.
Per Gelgi's personal website, her towering height is attributed to Weaver Syndrome, a condition that causes the individual to experience "large birth size, accelerated growth, and skeletal maturation," as well as "limb, craniofacial, neurological, and other abnormalities."
| Rumeysa Gelgi and her sister back in 2014. Credit: Xinhua / Alamy |
Given her height, however, Gelgi has been unable to do the things that many of us take for granted. While she can definitely reach the top shelf in the cereal aisle at the local supermarket, her unique predicament means that she has never been able to travel on an airplane - that is until Turkish Airlines gave her the chance.
Posting about her experience on Instagram, Gelgi documented her journey from Istanbul to San Francisco.
"A flawless journey from start to finish with Turkish Airlines. I have so many people to thank.. Air Clinic officials and officers, Istanbul Airport staff, @turkishairlines team, all cabin staff including our cabin supervisor, San Francisco International Airport officers and medical team, customs police and many other departments that I can't count," the [translated] caption began.
Gelgi added: "But unfortunately, I didn't get the chance to know the names of many people [...] who helped me with their kindness and dedication for 13 hours in the air for 19 hours in total and organized a 'first flight' celebration above the clouds.
"Therefore, I would like to thank firstly Mr. Ahmet Bolat, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Turkish Airlines and then Mr. Ramazan Yaşa, the Manager of Customer Relations of Turkish Airlines who personally organized this whole process."
"This was my first plane ride but it certainly won't be my last. From now on it will be a great honor and pleasure to fly to different parts of the world with Turkish Airlines A heartfelt thank you to each and every person who has been a part of my journey. With my love," the post - which has racked up 1,800 likes - concluded.
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The airline allegedly had to remove six seats in order to accommodate Gelgi - but it was all worth it. Turkish Airlines even responded underneath Gelgi's post, writing: "Hello Ms. Rümeysa, we are very happy that your flight went smoothly and your valuable feedback. We always want to do what we can for you and our work continues in this direction. Whenever you need us, we are here for you at Turkish Airlines."
| Credit: Instagram.com |
