Five-foot-four-inch Francinaldo da Silva Carvalho married up when he tied the knot with the beautiful Elisany da Cruz Silva—but only in the most literal sense of the expression.
Elisany, a Brazilian, is a whopping six feet and nine inches tall, placing her head and shoulders above Francinaldo.
The two met eight years ago and, despite their differences, social norms, and even their families’ judgment, married and brought a 3-year-old boy into the world.
Highlights
- Brazilian model Elisany da Cruz Silva (6’9”) and husband Francinaldo da Silva Carvalho (5’4”) have been together eight years despite criticism over their dramatic height difference.
- The couple shares a three-year-old son after Elisany miscarried twins, a loss doctors attributed to her gigantism.
- Gigantism, caused by a pituitary tumor, is extremely rare and occurs more often in men than women.
The most abnormal part of their lives manifests when they are out in public
Image credits: elisanyoficial
Francinaldo does not exaggerate when he says, “She is a beautiful person.”
A video compilation shows the two on the beach, with a fair amount of gestures and interactions requiring Elisany to lean forward.
In one, she can be seen picking Francinaldo up as if he were as light as a child, and swinging him into her arms.
The two go about their lives in the carefree manner of most others.
Image credits: elisanyoficial
But according to Francinaldo, thanks only to the judgmental looks, their public lives are anything but normal.
Doctors say Elisany may never have a normal birth. Be that as it may, she has a healthy 3-year-old son
The two met at Francinaldo’s workplace eight years ago, and according to a short YouTube documentary, he was “instantly smitten.”
Two years later, they married and, like most people, set their sights on starting a family. Today, Francinaldo shares a 3-year-old with his aspiring model wife, which is a privilege that did not come easily.
Image credits: elisanyoficial
Elisany first conceived twins but miscarried them both—a tragedy that has been blamed on her height.
“And for the doctor to tell me that I lost two…” she said through sobs.
“The doctors used to say that because of my height, I would not be able to have a normal birth.
“Thank God it all went well,” she reflected while drying off her tears and smiling.
This boy, now 3, was born “normal, without any problems.”
The boy’s birth has them thinking about another child
“I want to be a good father to my son,” Francinaldo interjected. “I’m going to guide him.
“All I learned from my father I want to teach him,” he gushed.
In fact, Francinaldo is so enthusiastic about this healthy new family member that he is talking about having another child.
Image credits: elisanyoficial
“If I have another one I will do the same,” he joked.
But it appears his wife is playing coy: “She doesn’t want to have another one,” he said, gesticulating in Elisany’s direction while she made a futile attempt to hide a sheepish smile.
“Stop with that,” she eventually tells him.
Elisany recalls getting depressed about the way the public treated her and her husband
One challenge that continues to plague their love is shallow public sentiments.
Image credits: elisanyoficial
“When we go out in public,” Elisany told the camera crew, “we can see people smirking, looking at us.
“Even if they don't say something, you can tell they are judging us.”
There was a time when these reactions weighed on Elisany. “I suffered a lot and had depression,” she recalled.
These detractors were not only strangers.
Some of the negativity came from family members
Family members saw a grim prognosis for the two’s marriage solely because of Elisany’s height.
“I thought the marriage wouldn’t work,” admitted one relative. “Especially when he (Francinaldo) said you were moving in together.”
“My opinion has changed,” assured the once-critical in-law.
Speaking to the camera, she observed, “When the three of them go out they are very happy.”
They also acknowledged Elisany’s son, crediting him in part for her joy.
The couple is positive and hopeful about the future
Image credits: elisanyoficial
Elisany has since learned to deal with public reactions and dissent: she simply ignores them nowadays.
She and her husband are hopeful that her modeling career takes off.
This is important for Francinaldo because he wants to see Elisany’s dreams fulfilled, while such a reality would also grant the trio financial security.
The condition affects more men than women, and only 100 cases have been reported in the U.S.
Elisany’s condition is known as gigantism, a disorder triggered by a tumor on her pituitary gland that results in the overproduction of growth hormones.
The Barrow Neurological Institute notes that it is extremely rare and only occurs in adults and adolescents.
They affect twice as many men as they do women, and only 100 cases have been diagnosed in America.
For Elisany (as can be seen by her height), this meant faster bone growth and muscle formation.
Some feel that not all of the looks are judgmental; some of them are just pure fascination
