Felipe Birriel - the giant from Carolina, Puerto Rico

Описание: Born on August 16th of 1916 in Carolina, Puerto Rico, Felipe Birriel's claim to fame was due to his physical stature. He is considered to have been the tallest Puerto Rican and one of the tallest men in the world with a height of around 7ft 11 inches. Almost 8 ft tall.

Birriel was born to Pedro Birriel and Dionisia Fernandez and was the oldest of six siblings. He only went to school up to second grade and soon thereafter was sent to the farm fields to help his parents make a living.

When Birrell was 16 years old, he started to grow at an alarming rate and was also beginning to feel sick with dizzy spells. Having visited a doctor, he was diagnosed with a tumor in his pituitary gland and although, there was no known cure, it was treatable. The treatment required a radiotherapy machine which could only be found in the United States. The machine was sent in 1932, but it was not until 1941- 9 years later- that it finally arrived in Puerto Rico.

As Felipe kept growing and maturing, he was seen as somewhat of a folk hero and was loved and adored by his people, especially those in Carolina. Those who had known him or met him described him as a gentle and humble man with the soul of a child.


Due to his size, Birriel had many challenges in his daily life that many of us take for granted such as finding clothes to wear, a chair to sit on, or a bed long enough for him to sleep on. Thankfully, many people and the government itself were happy to help.

The government helped with some of his expenses. The mayor of Carolina arranged for two extra large beds to be constructed so he could sleep comfortably. One was kept at his home and the other was kept at the local hospital. When his knee problems worsened, an oversized wheel chair was specially built. His bed and his chair as well as many of his personal items are on display at Museum Casa Escute in Carolina.

The Giant of Carolina as he came to be known lived with his brother and sister in law. He earned a living by making personal appearances. He even appeared in the film "Flight of the Lost Balloon" filmed in Puerto Rico in 1961.

Due to his condition, Birriel's health had steadily worsened and he died of a heart attack on March 15 of 1994 in the city in which he was born at the age of 77. What was unique about " the Giant of Carolina" is that he reach a relatively old age while being as tall as he was. Most extremely tall people tend to experience serious health conditions and die at a much younger age.

The town of Carolina is now known as the Land of the Giants in honor of Birriel. There's also a park, museum as well as a street in honor if his memory. Even the local basketball team is called the giants of Carolina.

#coquireport #giantman #puertorico

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