'Height' of Love: When a 7ft 8in 'Gentle Giant' Married 3 Feet Shorter Woman [PHOTOS]

When a 7ft 8in man meets a woman who is three feet shorter than him, chances of 'love at first sight' would seem impossible. But, for Joelison Fernandes da Silva and Evem Medeiros, it was indeed a case of falling in love in their first meeting. 

However, for the world's third tallest man, life was anything but normal ever since he was born.

The 28-year-old native of Paraiba, Brazil, developed gigantism as a child.

Ivanilde Fernandes da Silva, his mother said: "From a young age I knew there was something not quite right with Joelison. When he was a baby and only a few months old the baby shoes stopped fitting his feet properly and I'd always have to go and buy more and more."

He also had to face bullying at school which prompted him to quit education for good.

Doctors found out that he had a benign tumour in his pituary gland that produced disproportionate growth hormone in his body, leading to his phenomenal growth. Though he was initially reluctant to have the gland removed, he gave in after being told that it could be fatal.

And so, in 2007, the gland was removed using a laser surgery performed through his nose.

Things started looking up for him after the surgery, which put an end to his gigantism. He started appearing in TV commercials, having quit his job at a gold mine and at a tea plantation.

A confident Joelison was now attracting admirers, and one of them was 21-year-old Evem Medeiros, who first contacted him on Facebook. "The first time I saw her it was love at first sight. I was charmed by her. I wanted to be with her all the time. It didn't matter about her size," he said, according to DailyMail.

Interestingly, when Joelison met his father-in-law for the first time, he was shocked and told Medeiros:  "Daughter, I told you to get a man, a great man. You exaggerated."

Joelison is candid about the huge difference between his height and that of his wife and said that he has got used to being asked annoying questions about their life. 

"I get asked a lot about this and at first it annoyed me but nowadays it's normal and I am used to it. I take it in good humour," he said.

Now, the couple is reportedly planning to start a family.