Tornado Carries Wedding Memories from Illinois to Indiana

A 19-year-old Michigan man who was previously in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s tallest teenager has finally found an affordable pair of shoes to fit his size-28 feet, thanks to a 3-D printer.

Broc Brown,  –  –—, who is 7 feet, 8 inches tall, has Sotos Syndrome, also known as cerebral gigantism, which affects about one in every 15,000 people, the Jackson Citizen Patriot reported.

Brown’s aunt, Stacy Snyder, said that along with abnormal size, Sotos causes Brown to have chronic back and knee pain, along with other ailments. Snyder said no one is sure when he will stop growing.

“I can walk in a store and walk out with five pairs of shoes if I want to,” she said. “He can’t.”

California-based Feetz stepped in to help. The shoe company uses an app to convert photos of someone’s feet into a 3-D model, which can be measured to create custom-fit shoes manufactured by a 3-D printer.

Feetz CEO Lucy Beard delivered a pair of black and red shoes to Brown at his home in Michigan Center. The shoes were the colors of Brown’s favorite basketball team, the Chicago Bulls.

“Whoa,” Brown said. “Heck, I don’t like them. I love them. Thank you.”

Beard said it was a first for the company.

“We’ve never done a shoe this big before, but we’re just excited to get Broc some comfy shoes,” Beard said. “We’re really just honored to do this.”

Beard said Feetz shoes cost between $99 and $250, versus the typical custom-fit shoes that cost a minimum of $400 to $500.

Until he turned 18 in 2015 and could no longer qualify, Brown was considered the tallest teenager in the world. With his new shoes, he thinks he can get back in the Guinness Book of World Records.

“These definitely are the world’s largest 3-D-printed shoes,” he said. 

Mementos of a southern Illinois A Mementos of a southern Illinois couple’s wedding and engagement have been found nearly 50 miles away after a tornado tore their home from its foundation.

A bag containing an engagement picture, wedding day invitations and a bride’s garter was whisked from Charlie and Kim Jacobs’ home in Crossville, Illinois, when the tornado hit around 10 p.m. on February 28. The bag was later found— intact — on Tracy Vinson’s farm in Hazleton, Indiana, according to WFIE-TV.

“I was like, ‘I gotta find these people,’” Vinson told the television station. “This might be the one thing they have left from their home.”

She posted photos on Facebook — and was able to track the couple down about 90 minutes later, thanks to dozens of comments and the post being shared.

“I was like, in tears, and I haven’t even met these people yet,” Vinson said. “I could imagine, if it happened to me, I would definitely want someone to.”

Charlie and Kim Jacobs say they’re amazed the photos and other mementos traveled so far, and arrived relatively undamaged. Vinson and the couple plan to meet.

The tornado was on the ground for more than 50 minutes in the area between Carmi, Illinois, and Oakland City, Indiana. Forecasters estimated the maximum wind speed at more than 150 mph.