The Tallest Woman In The World Felt Completely Alone Until One Move Turned Her Life Around

Sandy Allen was never one to blend in with the crowd. In fact, she couldn’t even if she’d wanted to. At 7 feet 7 inches tall, Allen towered over everyone she met. Her unique appearance came with its fair share of heartbreak, too. But as she struggled to find her way in life, the tallest woman in the world found salvation in the unlikeliest of places.

Sandy Allen

From her humble beginnings in Shelbyville, Indiana, to a prominent role in a Fellini flick, Allen’s story is worthy of a movie in its own right. Bullied and isolated at school, she grew up to become a gentle giant known for her big heart. Yet things didn’t always look so bright, until a twist of fate took her life down a different path.

Ordinary beginnings

Born in Chicago, Illinois, in June 1955, Allen started life as a baby of distinctly average proportions. In fact, there was nothing to indicate that this 6.5-pound infant would grow up to break records due to her astonishing height. Within a decade, though, she stood well over 6 feet tall, dwarfing her classmates of a similar age.

Troubled childhood

Sadly, Allen’s mother was a somewhat flighty parent, said to have had a penchant for fast living and alcohol. And so, when the girl was just a baby, she was handed over to her grandma, Emma Warfield, to raise. Reportedly, the giantess never knew the name of her father — and suspected that her surname may have been a fictional invention.

A poor upbringing

Though Warfield was kind and loving, the household was poor. And their home in Shelbyville came with primitive, unreliable plumbing, cramped quarters, and peeling paint on the walls. Still, things were relatively peaceful until Allen reached junior high and her mother returned to the family’s house.