Featured Image Credit: TAO-CHUAN YEH/AFP via Getty Images/Guinness World Records /Instagram
Topics: Guinness World Records, Mexico, Social Media, Documentaries
Niamh Shackleton
Topics: Guinness World Records, Mexico, Social Media, Documentaries
People have rushed to the defence of the world's hairiest family amid cruel remarks from online trolls.
The family, who hail from Mexico, received the title of the largest hairy family in the world by the Guinness World Records (GWR), with the condition dating back five generations.
The extremely rare genetic condition is called congenital generalized hypertrichosis (CGH) and, as of 2009, less than 100 cases had been documented in the news.
CGH can develop over time, but in this family's case it was recognizable from birth.
Victor “Larry” Gomez, Gabriel “Danny” Ramos Gomez and their cousins Luisa Lilia De Lira Aceves and Jesus Manuel Fajardo Aceves are just some of the 30 members of their family who have CGH.
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According to GWR, women with CGH are covered with a light-to-medium coat of hair, while the men of the family have thick hair on approximately 98 percent of their bodies - not including their palms and the soles of their feet.
Jesus featured in the 2014 documentary Chuy, The Wolf Man where he spoke of the hardships he'd faced since he was a child as a result of his condition.
He joined the circus when he was just 13 years old.
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Jesus said: "My life in the circus started when I was 13. The man said he'd pay us well and said he wanted all of us. He said he would house us and there'd be money. I said, 'Yes.'"
While Jesus and his mother always had somewhere comfortable to stay and plenty to eat, he struggled with being 'locked up'.
He shared in the Eva Aridjis film: "We were always locked up. They were presenting us as attractions so we couldn't be seen on the street. I didn't like that, being locked up so people wouldn't see us."
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The documentary helped put the Gomez and Aceves' names and faces on the map, but they haven't always been met with kindness.
Some online trolls have questioned if the family are related to fictional Star Wars character Chewbaca.
But people have come to their defence. One person penned online: "It's what's in their heart is all that counts."
A second said: "I think it's pretty awesome! Very unique!"
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"Wow, that's truly extraordinary," wrote a third. "It must be quite a unique journey for the family navigating through such a rare condition together."