Igor Vovkovinskiy -- crowned by Guinness World Records in 2010 as the tallest living person in the United States -- has died at age 38.
Vovkovinskiy was a 7-foot, 8.33-inch Ukraine native who lived in Minnesota. He died of heart disease at the Mayo Clinic Hospital Saint Marys campus in Rochester.
His mother, Svetlana Vovkovinska, an intensive care unit nurse at Mayo Clinic, initially posted about his son's demise on Facebook.
"Igor and his older brother Oleh were with him until the end. His last dinner was a piece of Kyiv cake and Fanta," People Magazine quote his mother as saying.
Vovkovinskiy moved to Rochester, Minnesota from Ukraine in 1989 for medical treatment, according to his Facebook page.
He was born with pituitary gigantism, a television interview he did on "The Dr. Oz Show" in 2010 revealed.
According to the Associated Press and USA Today, Vovkovinskiy sought medical treatment that year for a brain tumor.
A tumor pressing against his pituitary gland caused it to produce abnormal levels of growth hormones.
Oleh said Vovkovinskiy was popular when he arrived from Ukraine because of his size.
But Oleh added his brother would have rather lived "a normal life than be known," according to Business Insider.
Vovkovinskiy's size ultimately made headlines worldwide, including former U.S. President Barack Obama, who noticed him wearing a shirt with the words: "World's Biggest Obama Supporter" during a campaign rally in 2009, reports said.
In 2010, Vovkovinskiy's feet grew so long he required a 26 10-E shoe size.
Though the pair of shoes cost a whopping $16,000 to make, Vovkovinskiy said he needed them because he could never find a pair that fit properly, AP said.
The size of his feet made it difficult for him to do daily routine tasks like getting inside cars or finding seats while attending the Minnesota School of Business, where he took a course in paralegal studies.
A memorial service is set for Saturday afternoon, and the burial of Vovkovinskiy's cremated remains is expected to be held at a later date.
The previous record-holder for the tallest man in the U.S. was Virginia deputy sheriff George Bell. He stood at 7 feet and 8 inches.
