Meet Junrey Balawing the new world's record of the World's Shortest Man :Junrey Balawing' a filipino blacksmith's son who stopped growing when he was a toddler was declared the world's shortest man by Guinness World Records.
Junrey Balawing, who just turned 18, is 23.5 inches tall, succeeding previous title holder Khagendra Thapa Magar from Nepal, who is 26 inches tall.
A team from Guinness World Records made the announcement in the remote town of Sindangan, where Junrey Balawing lives, on his 18th birthday on Sunday. Claimants for the title must be at least 18 years old.
"We are happy on this day. We are proud of Junrey Balawing," his mother Concepcion said. The Guinness team, led by Guinness World Records editor-in-chief Craig Glenday, measured Junrey Balawing both vertically and horizontally before declaring him the world's shortest man and handing him a certificate.
Junrey Balawing' s father said his son, the oldest of four children, stopped growing in his first year. His speech is also stunted and his conversations are limited to short phrases. Junrey Balawing mostly stays at home, needing assistance to move around. His condition has prevented him from attending school.
While the award does not come with a cash prize, Glenday said the team hopes that publicising Junrey Balawing 's case will draw the attention of medical experts who may be able to help him. Local medical practitioners have not been able to explain his growth disorder. "The previous record holder had been given medical care... He even had free surgery provided by the U.S.A. So there are benefits to being a record holder," Glenday said.
"We feel for him because of his size. Obviously, being that size, it's quite a compromised life. We hope that by publicising his case, medical practitioners will pay attention." A smiling Junrey Balawing celebrated his 18th birthday with balloons and a cake.(source: News.Yahoo)
Photos Gallery Of Junrey Balawing The Shortest/Smallest Man In This World's
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