Son of a Filipino blacksmith, Balawing stopped growing when he was a toddler. Balawing was born in the rural town of Sindangan on the Philippines’ southern island of Mindanao.
“When he reached the age of two, he fell sick and showed signs that he was no longer growing anymore. His parents had him checked by doctors but to no avail,” Manila Bulletin reported.
Unable to find any medical remedy for Balawing’s physical condition, his parents learned to accept their son’s fate, it said. In 2010, the Guinness Book of World Records had declared Khagendra Thapa Magar of Nepal who measured 67 cm as the world’s shortest man.
Published 12 June 2011, 17:50 IST