Discovery Health Presents the Original Documentary Anatomy of a Giant, the Incredible Story of the World's Second Tallest Man and Future NBA Hopeful

Discovery Health Presents the Original Documentary Anatomy of a Giant, the Incredible Story of the World's Second Tallest Man and Future NBA Hopeful

SILVER SPRING, Md., Sept. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Sun Ming Ming is a young man who dreams of transforming his life from his home outside Harbin, China, to one in the ultra competitive NBA in America. Ming has an advantage when it comes to accomplishing this goal: he is the world's second tallest man, standing 7 feet 9 inches tall. In basketball terms, 22-year-old Ming is a true giant. Tragically, the very thing that makes him a coach's dream may also end his life -- as doctors discover a rare tumor that reveals the secret behind his incredible growth. Sponsored by American Honda Motor, Discovery Health presents Ming's story in the world premiere of ANATOMY OF A GIANT on Sunday, October 15, at 8 PM (ET/PT).

Ming suffers from a tumor in his pituitary gland, causing it to secrete excessive amounts of growth hormone, which is responsible for his tremendous height. Because he developed this condition as an adolescent, the plates at the ends of his bones did not seal as they normally do in the growth process. Without help, Ming's heart simply will not be able to grow along with him, and his key organs will fail. Ming's three-hour pioneering surgery, performed by Dr. Hrayr Shahinian, was done with an endoscope through his nose using a camera.

ANATOMY OF A GIANT follows Ming on his incredible journey from China to find the medical help he needs for his rare condition in the United States. Documenting his groundbreaking surgery, ANATOMY OF A GIANT also traces Ming's path through a chance meeting with an American sports agent and back onto the basketball courts as he drives forward in pursuit of his dream. How well he is able to bring himself back from surgery and into the shape necessary to compete for an NBA tryout is in his own hands. He cannot know if he is good enough to become one of the professional elite; he does know what it takes to try. ANATOMY OF A GIANT charts the course of a young man's dream, the lengths he will go to pursue it and the courage it takes for him never to give up.

ANATOMY OF A GIANT is produced for the Discovery Health Channel by LMNO Productions. Eric Schotz and Bill Paolantonio are executive producers for LMNO. John Grassie is executive producer for Discovery Health.

Discovery Communications, Inc. is the leading global real-world media company with operations in 170 countries and territories reaching 1.4 billion cumulative subscribers. DCI's over 100 networks of distinctive programming represent 28 trusted brands including Discovery Channel, TLC and Animal Planet. DCI's other properties consist of Discovery Education and COSMEO, a revolutionary online homework help service, as well as Discovery Commerce, which operates more than 100 Discovery Channel Stores in the U.S. Discovery brings the real world to the whole world through its global multiplatform initiatives including Discovery Travel Media, Discovery Mobile and multiple broadband services. DCI's ownership consists of four shareholders: Discovery Holding Company (NASDAQ:DISCA)(NASDAQ:DISCB), Cox Communications, Inc., Advance/Newhouse Communications and John S. Hendricks, the Company's Founder and Chairman. More information about Discovery and its businesses can be found at www.discovery.com .

Source: Discovery Communications, Inc.

CONTACT: Denise Arrigali, +1-678-580-1245, or darrigali@comcast.net, for
Discovery Communications, Inc.

Web site: http://www.discovery.com/

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