Former model with rare growth disease dies Pictures Former model with rare growth disease dies This photo provided by Tina Valle shows Tanya Angus before contracting her growth disease, in 1999. As a teenager growing up in Las Vegas, Angus strutted along fashion runways as a model. She was 5 feet 8 inches tall. But at the time of her death, Jan. 14, 2013, the 34-year-old Angus stood 7 feet 2 inches and weighed about 400 pounds. She was a victim of a rare disorder called acromegaly that wouldn't let her stop growing. In children the condition is known as gigantism. Credit: AP Photo/Tina Valle