15-Year-Old Is Already 7 Feet Tall. Doctors Said 'This Is Getting Out of Hand' and Discovered His Rare Condition

[mahatmakanejeeves]

15-Year-Old Is Already 7 Feet Tall. Doctors Said 'This Is Getting Out of Hand' and Discovered His Rare Condition

“It didn’t get crazy until he hit puberty when he was 12, 13, and he was already over 6 feet and still growing two and three inches every year,” Gabriel Yates' mom says

By Susan Young Published on October 29, 2025 12:00PM EDT

NEED TO KNOW
• Gabriel Yates, a 15-year-old from Naples, Fla., always enjoyed being the tallest kid in school — but eventually he had questions about whether something else was happening
• After turning to the internet, he wondered if he might have gigantism, a very rare hormone condition
• After a barrage of tests, doctors found Gabriel had three times the normal growth hormone level and a pituitary tumor

Gabriel Yates always enjoyed being the tallest kid in school — that is, until he made it to eighth grade and had to start ducking under doorways, becoming something of an oddity to others. Someone to be remarked upon, however randomly.

“Strangers ask me about playing sports, so I mention I do acting [instead] and they start listing every actor over 6’5,"” Gabriel, 15, tells PEOPLE. “It’s kind of annoying when they are like, ‘My uncle’s dog’s other friend is 6’5.’ They try to associate tall people with themselves for some reason.”

{snip}

[Irish_Dem]

1. Child had to diagnose himself from the internet.

Doctors kept blowing off his symptoms.

[hlthe2b]

2. Unforgiveable that he was not tested earlier with a major growth spurt...

A first-year medical student should know to do so--the kindest explanation I can think of is perhaps the kid did not see his physician at the height (no pun intended) of the growth spurt. Perhaps...

(Some may be wondering what the big deal is--he'll just be a basketball-level tall guy. Well, not exactly. Uncontrolled levels of growth hormone can also cause defects in internal organs--most prominently the heart. This can be very dangerous.)

[Irish_Dem]

3. I agree. The tumor could have been removed much earlier.

And prevented further damage to his body. And stopped the harmful growth spurts.

He could have been a normal size and not had to face so many problems
medically and socially.

[pansypoo53219]

4. i think i read about a real chinese female + it made me wiki tallest people + shit.

my cousins were extra tall kids. but they are just 6' f + 6'4" m. i knew a guy 6' 11'+ his father was 6' 8". survived the bulge(ww2).