Rümeysa Gelgi is only 18 and already has her name on record books. At 213 centimeters, she is the world's "Tallest Teenager," according to the Guinness Book of World Records.
Like most teenagers, Gelgi loves pets but cannot adopt one because of her health condition. She suffers from Weaver syndrome, an extremely rare genetic disorder associated with rapid growth.
But now she is using her star power and the power of the internet to help stray animals find a home. She runs a social media campaign on "Kırıkkuyruk," (meaning bustedtails), with the slogan "Become the Hero of Our Friends on the Streets."
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Gelgi said that she and her partners on social media are looking to manage food, accommodation and health care for stray animals.
Gelgi said Kırıkkuyruk is a platform to help stray animals. "On our website, animal lovers can get all kinds of help for stray animals. It started off on social media and now has its own website. I have been involved with Kırıkkuyruk since the foundation of its website," she said.
A database for animal lovers
"On the website, animal lovers can post and reply to announcements on stray animals. Kırıkkuyruk wants to create a database for animal lovers. Besides announcements, there is contact information for vets, pet shops or municipalities working with stray animals on our website. There are also informative guides and videos."
She said the platform is trying to help all stray animals all around Turkey and urged people to become a member of the platform.
Gelgi added that the members of Kırıkkuyruk want it to become well known so they can continue helping stray animals. "I try my best to promote the platform," Gelgi said. "We are trying to reach more users so we can provide more assistance to stray animals."
The project currently covers only Turkey and does not have any international affiliation yet. However, Gelgi said that there are foreigners who support the project.
"On the website, users can post announcements if someone's pet goes missing or if they find an animal on the street. They can also request animal feed, cages, and health care support for strays," Gelgi said.
