The man whose foot swelled to an astonishing size TWENTY-NINE

Liu Huichang – whose name translates as ‘Liu can grow' – suffers from localised gigantism, which has meant his right foot has never stopped growing.

It currently measures 43cm long (17 inches) – the equivalent of a UK shoe size 29 – and is 14cm (five inches) thick, The People’s Daily Online reports.

Liu Huizhang’s parents from Qu County in Sichuan province, China, desperately tried to stop his foot growing when he was young by tightly binding the limb – but refused doctors’ suggestions of amputating his leg.

Now the computer system apprentice has undergone the first of three operations which he hopes will help him lead a more normal life.

Liu, who works in a packaging factory, said he decided to have the operations not only for himself but for his grandmother, who has been making him gigantic shoes since he was five years old.

The 70-year-old uses canvases and needles to stitch the shoes after a laborious day working on a farm, and has continued to help her grandson even as her eyesight deteriorates.

‘I have worn off about 20 shoes in the last 16 years,’ said Liu, explaining how he has had difficulty finding a job because of his debilitating condition.

‘Eventually my teacher helped and I finally landed on a job in a packaging factory.

‘If my foot gets better, I will definitely go and play basketball and wear some shoes from the high streets’.

Chinese media reports that this affected foot is 'just double' the size of his left foot, and Liu has struggled to walk properly for many years. 

Orthopaedics specialist Tang Kang at Xinan District Hospital explained that the man’s condition is rare and the usual treatment recommended is amputation.

‘Liu Huizhang also suffers from flatfoot and joint problems amongst many other medical issues,’ said Tang Kang.

Even if the three operations are a success, Liu’s two feet may not be the same size but doctors hope his right foot will be reduced to a normal size.

(dailymail.co.uk)