World\'s tallest living man confined to small village

PODOLIANTSI, UKRAINEAt age 33, Leonid Stadnik wishes he would stop growing.He\'s already 8 feet, 4 inches.Recent measurements show that Stadnik is already 7 inches taller than Radhouane Charbib of Tunisia, listed by the Guinness Book of World Records as the tallest living man. He\'s also gaining on Robert Wadlow, the tallest man in history, who stood at 8 feet, 11 inches.Yet for Stadnik, the prospect of becoming a record-holder would be little comfort."My 2-year-old suit\'s sleeves and pants are now 30 centimeters (12 inches) shorter than I need," Stadnik said. "My height is God\'s punishment. My life has no sense."Stadnik\'s height keeps him confined to his tiny village of Podoliantsi, 130 miles west of the capital, Kiev."Taking a public bus for me is the same as getting into a car\'s trunk for a normal person," he said.Stadnik\'s unusual growth began after a brain operation at age 14, which is believed to have stimulated his pituitary gland. Since then, life just keeps getter harder.Although he once was able to work as a veterinarian at a cattle farm, he had to quit three years ago after his feet were frostbitten because he wasn\'t able to afford proper shoes for his 17-inch feet.This month, he finally got a good pair, paid for by some local businessmen. Their $200 cost was the equivalent of about seven months\' worth of the tiny pension that Stadnik receives in the economically struggling country.