A Canadian man has had limb-lengthening surgery, costing £25,000, to increase his height from 5ft 7in to 5ft 10in as he was so insecure about his height it caused him to have “suicidal thoughts”, and claims he is now “so much happier” and “confident”.
Daniel Farbod, 27, a civil engineer, from Toronto, Canada, has been self-conscious of his height “all (his) life” – when he stopped growing, at age 14, he said it felt “tragic” and like his “first stab to the heart.”
Daniel always defined “being masculine” as being tall, and was “ashamed” of himself as he “didn’t feel like a man.”
Over time, being taller was all Daniel could dream about, and claimed his height “impacted his mental health so badly” that he was having “suicidal thoughts”.
After coming across the unique surgery online, he realised he was “willing to sacrifice time and money to get (his) life back.”
So, in May 2021, he had his first procedure in a specialist clinic in Turkey, which involved breaking his femurs, hollowing out the bone, and putting a rod inside the bone with external fixators, pieces of steel on the outside of his legs.
Daniel had to turn the fixators with an Allen key every day for over four months, and eventually had his second surgery to remove the fixators after his bones had successfully fused together.
When Daniel recovered, he could not “put into words how happy (he) was” and “felt so much more confident”, now, he is sharing his journey on social media to inspire others who are insecure about their height.
Daniel told PA Real Life: “I’m really proud of myself for having the surgery.
“I was insecure all my life about my height, it impacted my mental health so badly.
“I was suicidal, and after admitting that I wanted to take the steps to feel better, and have the surgery, I feel so much better.
“I think for other people, it is important to know how tough the surgery and recovery is – it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but for me, it changed my life and made me grow not only literally but also metaphorically as a person.”
Daniel, who has always been self-conscious about his height, stopped growing at age 14, and became obsessed with finding ways to become taller.
He said: “I researched everything from socks and supplements that claimed to increase your height.
“I was always insecure and worried about it – I used to go to orthopaedic doctors because I was so scared of not growing.
“But when I got to age 14, I stopped and it was so depressing.”
When it became clear to Daniel that he was unlikely to grow any more, it took a toll on his mental health and confidence.
He explained: “It was so tragic for me, it was like my first stab to the heart.
“All my dreams would be about being taller and I had to somehow accept that my height had peaked.
“I tried to keep myself busy to manage my thoughts but in 2020 I just couldn’t handle it – I had all of these negative thoughts and suicidal thoughts because I think being masculine, and being a man, means to be tall.
“I didn’t feel like a man, I was so ashamed.”
Daniel felt as though having limb-lengthening surgery was the only way he was going to feel better, but his parents, who are both “on the shorter side”, did not approve of his decision to have cosmetic surgery.
He said: “Everyone was really against the idea because they thought it was not natural and it was changing the way your body is meant to be.
“I knew the surgery was going to be tough, but I thought even that pain would be better than having suicidal thoughts.
“I was willing to sacrifice time and money to get my life back.”
In May 2021, Daniel had his first surgery in a specialist clinic, Live Life Taller, in Turkey, which involved breaking both of his femurs, hollowing out the bone, and putting a rod inside the bone with external fixators – pieces of steel on the outside of his legs.
He explained: “I was really scared when I got to the clinic, and the breaking of the bones was the part I was most nervous about in the whole process.
“It was crazy to wake up after the surgery – the reality just hit me all at once and I was so happy.”
His recovery involved being in a wheelchair and using an Allen key to turn a bolt on the fixators four times a day at 90 degrees to separate the bone segments a little at a time.
Daniel continued to do this every day for four and a half months, saying of his painful recovery: “My skin was stretching, my muscles were growing, it was madness.
“It took me even longer to recover, they usually say it will take three months, but, my I had nerve issues with my right leg and had to have it broken again.
“It was a very tough time.”
In September 2021, the external fixators were removed, he explained: “I used a walker and really really slowly I worked up to using crutches.
“I couldn’t really tell how tall I was at that point.
“It took me at least another three months to be able to stand up.”
Mr Farbod went from 5 ft 7 to 5ft 10 and thinks his mental health has dramatically improved as a result.
He said: “I couldn’t believe it. I had been dreaming of being a tall man since I was 10 years old, it’s all I’ve ever wanted.
“I went through all these sleepless nights, trauma and upset, and I finally achieved my goal.
“I can’t even put into words how happy I was, and still am – I felt so much more confident.”
When Mr Farbod arrived home, his family were also very happy for him.
He said: “They looked after me so much – I could barely get out of bed or bend down for a long time.
“They could tell I was so much happier when I recovered.”
Now, Daniel shares his journey on Instagram and YouTube to inspire others who are insecure about their height.
He said: “I want to show people the reality of the surgery – it’s tough but I want to raise awareness and get men talking about their insecurities.”
For support, contact the Samaritans on 116 123, email them at jo@samaritans.org, or visit samaritans.org to find your nearest branch.
