Yao Defen, who was listed as the world's tallest woman by Guinness World Records in 2010, passed away on the morning of November 13 in the house she shared with her mother in Shitang village in eastern China, according to a local news website, Anhui News.
Yao developed gigantism because of a tumour on her pituitary gland and had topped 6 feet 6 inches by the time she was 15 years old, 'The Telegraph' reported from Beijing.
She also weighed more than 190 kg and had size 26 feet. Georg Wessels, a German shoemaker flew to China in 2006 to present her with three pairs of specially made shoes for free.
Yao worked for a circus in her youth, performing in a freak show, and had few friends.
Despite coming from a poor family, she declined government handouts, the local media reported.
In 2006, the tumour was discovered after she fainted while playing basketball and was removed. However, she continued to have other health problems.
She reportedly collapsed in 2009, while making lunch and was taken to hospital, where she was diagnosed with a blood clot on her brain.
