I read in the news this afternoon that Richard Kiel - AKA "Jaws" - died yesterday.
Link: Richard Kiel, who played lovable giant ‘Jaws’ in ‘James Bond’ films, is dead
I remember him most from his role as the evil villain, Jaws, in the James Bond movies. Shortly after I was diagnosed with acromegaly, I discovered I had the same disease as him and was fearful of what might happen to me if my tumor did not stop producing excess growth hormone. Would I become a giant, too? As time passed, I realized my situation was entirely different from his because my tumor began excreting excess growth hormone in my twenties - after my growth plates hardened. The photo I posted above is a keepsake I purchased from his website a couple of years ago. Nothing about acromegaly is mentioned on his site, but he does share his testimony about becoming a Christian and being delivered from alcoholism (with God's help) many years ago. Even though Mr. Kiel had acromegaly, he lived 74 years old - which is an inspiration in itself. His family posted a message on Facebook regarding his passing. You can read their announcement here.
