Saved from gigantism
“They said I’d be over 7ft!”
Sunshine Coast 5th grader Claire Mcculloch had only one dream – to be a pro basketballer. Having towered well above her friends from age four, her parents assumed her future was set.
But the family’s world came crashing down when they were delivered a devastating blow when Claire was seven.
“Deep down I knew something was wrong,” says mum Toni. “Her dad and I could see she didn’t run like normal kids – she was clumsy, already had size 8 feet and wore size 10-12 clothing. When they discovered a 2cm tumour on her pituitary gland, I thought, ‘OK, we’ve got this.’ Then came the cruellest blow – our beautiful Claire was diagnosed with gigantism.”
Without intervention, doctors e explained the extremely rare condition – which occurs when the pituitary gland makes too much growth hormone – would see Claire grow to a mammoth 250cm, making her too tall to fit through a standard door.
“Life expectancy isn’t good with gigantism either,” says T Toni, 42. “Her dad and I cried a all night wondering, ‘Why us?’ Th They were very dark days.”
However, determined to save C Claire’s life, Toni set out on a w worldwide search. Eventually, a surgeon in Washington DC r removed Claire’s pituitary gland – pausing her height.
“It was so scary, but so worth it,” Claire says, beaming. “I’m 11 now, and I’m just normal size.”
Toni is campaigning to have the growth hormone Claire now needs to grow to an average adult height put on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. They pay $2000 per quarter because at 160cm, Claire is 12cm too tall to qualify.
‘The surgery was so scary, but so worth it’
While she still enjoys shooting hoops, Claire has set her sights on a new challenge. “I want to study hard so I can become a doctor. I like being a normal kid who used to be sick but now I’m better. One day I hope I can help someone else and make their life better.”