A man has spent $81,000 on limb-lengthening surgery after being 'rejected' by women for being 'too short.'
Having felt self-conscious about his height for years, Dynzell Sigers, who is a 27-year-old ex-navy medic from Atlanta, Georgia, went ahead with the procedure in December 2022 to become half a foot taller.
Prior to the operation, he said he would avoid going to parties or going out, and was 'shy and soft-spoken.'
Now feeling 'like a new man,' he is showing off the results on TikTok - standing tall at 6ft compared to his previous 5ft 5in.
'I was always a very timid and reserved child and was always scared to be myself out of fear of being judged or unaccepted,' Dynzell told NeedToKnow.co.uk.
'And in my teen years, one time I was rejected by a girl I had a huge crush on and although she found me attractive, her reasoning was that I was too short and too young for her.
'I held on to that and would always consider my height before approaching women, which would often cause me to miss out on opportunities.
'Another major thing that stood out for me was that as much as I loved playing sports and I was very good at them, I refused to join any of my school teams because of my small stature.'
Spending his entire life wishing he was taller, Dynzell started researching limb-lengthening surgery in August last year before going under the knife himself.
'I looked into many different ways to get taller over the years, but there were never any realistic options,' he added.
'I found out about limb-lengthening and booked my appointment immediately.
'I had no particular inspiration, but I just knew I wanted to recreate my body and mind.
'And what better way than increasing my height and getting in great shape?'
Dynzell had to undergo six separate surgeries, with the first taking place on December 21, 2022.
Explaining the process, he said: 'The first surgery is where they surgically cut the bone and insert the internal rod in between the two halves, which connects to an external fixator through pins that protrude out your legs.
'For the next 90 days, you undergo the lengthening process where you turn a key on the external fixator triggering the internal rod to lengthen.
'This is done at about one millimeter a day, sometimes a little more.
'At the end of the 90 days, when you reach your desired height, which is a maximum of four inches on the upper leg and three inches on the lower leg, the external fixator is removed and the internal rod is left in place.'
Once the new bone has 'grown in', which takes up to a year according to Dynzell, the internal rod is then removed - with two more surgeries still on the cards for him.
He has spent $81,000 on the surgeries, but has no regrets.
'My recovery process has been a very smooth one,' Dynzell said.
'They do physiotherapy to get you back on your feet and walking as well as to maintain muscle flexibility and range of motion.
'I had to re-learn how to walk twice, but both times it did not take me too long.
'I am able to work out every day with no problem, the only thing I am not able to do currently is squat with weights as well as quadricep extensions.
'I can say that since I've completed my surgery, my confidence, self-belief, and sense of self-worth are all higher than they have ever been throughout the course of my life.
'I was always a shy and soft-spoken guy and it would take me a while to come out of my shell around new people, but once I did, I would be very outgoing and charismatic.
'This is always a trait I wish I could showcase more but since my surgery, this is now who I am all the time.
'I've also been able to garner much more attention from women and I have no reservations about approaching them.
'My personal appearance and self-confidence are also much higher.
'I feel like a new man... as though I was able to get a second chance at life.'
In a TikTok video, Dynzell stitches together multiple clips of the process.
His leg can be seen surrounded by rods and he also shows X-ray clips from the process, as well as him using a walker to learn to walk again.
The clip has 11.8 million views, as well as over one million likes, and thousands of comments.
'Tbh I'm not mad at this,' one person said.
Another added: 'Glad I'm naturally 6ft.'
A third person wrote: 'In a state of emergency he won't be able to run for his life.'
'I guess I should be grateful,' someone else said.
'I'm 5'5 and still get it, personality is everything,' another fan added.
'This looks so painful,' one comment read.