The Strange Tale of the Giraffe-Obsessed Woman: What Really Happened?
Growing up, we all had aspirations that were beyond our reach. Childhood dreams were full of fantastical aspirations. Whether it was flying high as a superhero or ruling a kingdom like a princess, these childhood dreams often fade away as we grow older.
But what if, for one woman in Los Angeles, that childhood dream never faded? What if, instead of striving for the usual heroic or regal persona, she was consumed with a strange and captivating desire to become one with the tallest creatures of the savanna - the giraffe.
This Los Angeles woman’s quest for giraffe-like perfection is both intriguing and eerie, as she embarks on a journey to transform herself into the very creature she so admires. A journey that started as a simple fascination, became a full-blown obsession. She was determined to achieve her goal, no matter what it took. This woman went to great lengths to alter her appearance, but the cost of her obsession was far greater than she could have ever imagined…
Sydney Smith had always been fascinated with giraffes and their elongated necks. Growing up, she would often visit the zoo and watch in awe as the majestic creatures gracefully reached up to the tallest branches. She collected giraffe figurines, stuffed giraffe toys, wallpaper, paintings, anything and everything that reminded her of her long-necked muse. She even had a giraffe purse that she carries with her everywhere.
It was then that Sydney realized she too wanted to show off her long neck, just like the giraffes she so adored. She believed that women with long necklines are way more attractive than women with short necks. Sydney was on a mission to look different from everyone else. What started as a harmless fantasy soon became a living nightmare, and it would take all of her strength to break free.
Middle school was when Sydney's obsession really started to show. She would often wear high-necked shirts and stand tall, mimicking the giraffes she so admired. It wasn't long before her classmates started to take notice and before she knew it, she had earned the nickname "giraffe girl."
Sydney loved the attention and embraced her newfound identity, even going so far as to wear clothing that mimicked the skin of giraffes. But behind her seemingly innocent goal was a dark and mysterious obsession that had taken over her life. What was driving her to look like a giraffe, and why was she willing to pay such a high price?
Despite her love for giraffes and collected giraffe figures, Sydney was still not satisfied. She longed to be even closer to the animals she so idolized. It was during her high school years that she stumbled upon a tribe of women called the 'Kayan Lahwi' people who used brass coils to gradually elongate their necks.
Sydney was immediately drawn to their tradition and was fascinated by the idea that women would go through such a process to be considered more beautiful to the men of the tribe and to serve as a symbol of their cultural identity. Sydney was triggered and eager to try it out herself.
Sydney Smith was captivated by the images of the women from the Kayan Lahwi tribes of Thailand and Burma, who adorn their necks with intricately stacked rings. But instead of admiring from afar, Smith was determined to embody the essence of these long-necked women. So, she took matters into her own hands and started experimenting with cut-up coat hangers, wrapping them around her neck as she slept each night.
It was a daring move and one that would eventually change her life forever. The lengths she went to in order to transform herself into her giraffe-like ideal were both absurd and fascinating, leaving many to wonder what could have driven her to such extremes. Her parents called her crazy and thought it was a ridiculous move. But Sydney persevered and believed that this nighttime neck stretching actually made her neck longer. Was it pure obsession or something more? The world was about to find out.
It was back in 1998 when Sydney Smith began her journey of neck elongation. After a few years of practicing this ritual, Smith noticed her neck was longer than her peers, but not in an excessive manner. She took a break from her routine to contemplate if becoming a long-necked woman was what she truly desired.
After much contemplation, Smith decided to take the leap and had a custom-made, tight-fitting copper necklace crafted. "I had missed the comfort and pressure on the top of my neck and shoulders," Smith stated. "I had been thinking about doing it again for a while and the comfort and thrill of the process was all I wanted."
In 2011, Sydney began fitting her own neck with copper rings. Starting slowly, Sydney began wrapping a single coil around her neck each day, gradually getting used to the weight as she inched closer and closer to her ultimate goal.
The process was slow and often painful, but Sydney was determined. She went to great lengths to alter her appearance, but the cost of her obsession was far greater than she could have ever imagined. Eventually, she was able to fit 15 copper rings around her neck, weighing in at a total of five pounds.
However, her new appearance drew unwanted attention, and she found herself working restaurant jobs behind the scenes to avoid prying eyes. Despite the comfort and exhilaration she felt from the pressure on her neck and shoulders, the muscles in her neck were unable to support her head, and she was faced with a difficult decision.
"Should I stop or go for it?" she wondered, fully aware that she would be wearing a ringed necklace for the rest of her life. The weight of her obsession and the fear of the unknown were heavy on her mind, but her love for giraffes was stronger, and she decided to move forward with her transformation, no matter the consequences.
Smith was enthralled by Lady Gaga's fearless approach to self-expression, and it sparked a change within her. "Her freak empowerment message made a special kind of sense for me," she stated. "I figured if she can wear meat dresses, I can be a giraffe woman."
Smith's friend took on the task of customizing the rings and carefully soldering them around her neck. Although the process was not without its challenges, Smith reports that it was carried out safely, though she did sustain some minor burns. Despite the limitations she now faces, such as decreased mobility and difficulties while driving, Smith notes that her peripheral vision has actually improved.
As Sydney's neck grew, so did her fame. The story of the "giraffe woman" quickly spread and soon she found herself at the center of attention all the time. Some called it a fetish, others called it a strange quirk, but for her, it was a calling.
As she underwent radical procedures to elongate her neck and enhance her features, the world watched in awe and wonder. But what was the driving force behind her transformation? Was it simply a love for giraffes, or was there something deeper at play? Some speculated that she was trying to escape a troubled past, while others believed that she was making a statement about societal norms and expectations.
Smith's pursuit of a long neck had garnered the attention of one of the world's most famous purveyors of the strange and unusual. Edward Meyer, Vice President of Exhibits and Archives at Ripley's Believe It Or Not!, has a long history with the Kayan tribe and their long-necked women. In 1923, the tribe's neck-ring tradition was first featured in Ripley's, and Meyer even captured a moment of history when a woman removed her rings, a process that was once thought to be fatal.
However, what they discovered was far from what they expected. Upon removing the rings, the woman's neck was scarred, smelly from mold growth, and weak for a few hours. The rings did not stretch the neck, but instead, pushed down the collarbone. "It was thought that removing the rings would kill the woman, but we proved they could be removed.” Meyer told HuffPost.
Despite the attention, Sydney began to feel like she was turning into a sideshow attraction. Everywhere she went, people would stare at her neck, and on more than one occasion, strangers would approach her, eager to learn more about her unique transformation.
To her surprise, many women approached her, inquiring about where they too can undergo the transformation. Sydney was aware of the potential risk and that she might be playing with medical science, but she also felt that she was on the brink of becoming a fashion icon.
Sydney's relationships also began to suffer. While she had many partners throughout the years, none of them could truly understand or accept her unique transformation. One partner, in particular, seemed like a perfect match in the beginning. His name was Jack and he was Sydney’s first serious relationship. Little did she know that this so-called ‘perfect match’ would turn into a nightmare instead.
They met in a coffee shop and hit it off immediately. Jack was charming, funny, and seemingly interested in everything about Sydney, including her neck rings. They went on several dates and spent a lot of time together, laughing and exploring the city. Sydney was smitten and thought that she had finally found the man of her dreams.
However, as their relationship developed, Jack's attitude changed. He started to become more and more controlling, dictating what Sydney could and couldn't do. Things took a turn for the worse when they planned on attending family gatherings together.
Jack would act like everything was okay with the rings in the beginning, but then he would quietly ask her to remove them before they arrived at the gathering. It made Sydney feel like she was not good enough for his family, and she struggled to come to terms with the fact that her partner was not as supportive as she thought.
When she refused to take the rings off he would just cancel the whole thing and not take her to meet his family. Sydney started to feel more and more self-conscious about them. Despite her reservations, Sydney stayed with Jack for a few months before finally realizing that she couldn't handle the emotional abuse anymore and she broke things off. This should have been the point where things improved, but unfortunately, they didn't...
After Jack, Sydney had a string of unsuccessful relationships. There was Kevin, who would only want to talk about the rings and nothing else. He was curious about the process of stretching her neck and how it affected her daily life, but he never showed any interest in getting to know her as a person. He was more interested in the novelty of Sydneys’ transformations, rather than the person behind it.
And then there was Jacob, who at first seemed to be the perfect partner but eventually revealed that he was deeply insecure and could not handle the attention that came with dating Sydney.
Through it all, Sydney tried to keep a positive attitude and remained hopeful that she would one day find someone who would love her for who she was, rings and all. But as time went on and each relationship ended in heartbreak, Sydney began to feel like she was cursed and that she would never be able to find happiness in love. She was constantly worried about what her partners thought of her neck and how it was affecting their relationship.
Sydney was at a crossroads. On one hand, she was a woman who was proud of her identity and her unique journey. On the other hand, she was also someone who was deeply wounded and yearned for the love and acceptance of others. On top of that, she could not function properly as a woman with fifteen rings around her neck in the US. Because of this, she became very isolated and introverted.
Finally, after five years of wearing the neck rings, Sydney had had enough. The thought of being free from her copper coils was tempting, but the removal process was far from simple. The rings were securely fastened with a strong adhesive, making it a challenge to remove them.
Enough was enough! It was 2016 and it was exactly five years after putting on her first coil. Sydney realized that the removal process would not be easy. The rings had been on her neck for so long that they had become a part of her, and she knew that getting them off would be a difficult and painful process.
With the help of a friend, Sydney began the removal process. They had to use chemicals to dissolve the glue holding the rings in place, and the process was excruciatingly painful. It took a full 15 minutes for them to remove all the rings, but finally, they succeeded. Despite the difficulty and pain of the process, Sydney felt a sense of relief and liberation as she said goodbye to the neck rings that had been a part of her life for five long years.
As the final ring was removed, Sydney felt a mix of relief and sadness. The rings had been a part of her for so long and now they were gone. She looked at herself in the mirror and saw a woman who was finally free from the pain and suffering that came with the rings. But at the same time, she felt like she was losing a part of herself.
Sydney decided to take some time to reflect on her journey. She realized that she had been so caught up in her obsession with giraffes and the idea of elongating her neck that she had lost sight of who she was. She was tired of the constant attention and judgment from others and was ready to start a new chapter in her life.
Despite her excitement at being free from the rings, Sydney quickly realized that her neck was weak and bruised. She scheduled regular visits with a chiropractor to help regain her strength, but she soon discovered that the practice of stretching her neck had not actually worked. Despite five years of extensive physical alterations, one surprising truth remained unchanged: Sydney's neck wasn’t longer.
According to orthopedic surgeon Dr. Johnathan Nissanoff in a 2014 interview, even after five years of body modification, Sydney's neck had not actually grown. He stated that if her growth has stopped, she is merely stretching her skin or pulling her bones apart with the rings, and that removing them will cause her neck to return to its original size.
He was right… The rings had merely weighed down her collarbone and rib cage, giving her the appearance of a longer neck. So despite her five-year commitment to body modification, Sydney's neck remained unchanged. Sydney was initially disappointed to learn that her efforts had been in vain and refused to believe it. She insisted that her neck was longer than it was five years ago. After a while, she just let it go and refocused her energy on self-improvement.
She reflected on the negative experiences and treatment she had faced, but chose to move forward and work on becoming a better person. Sydney began to engage in new hobbies and activities, things she never could have done before like running, hiking, and swimming. She was finally able to do the things she used to love and couldn’t do because of the ring.
It was during this time that she met a new man. He was kind, understanding, and completely accepting of Sydney, with or without neck rings. They fell in love and started a life together. For the first time, Sydney felt truly loved and accepted for who she was, and she was grateful for his love and support.
So today, Sydney's time of wearing her neck rings is long gone but she keeps them as a reminder of her journey. She has become a mother and is now contemplating starting a business selling detachable neck coils as a beauty accessory. She stated, "I've had numerous inquiries about the rings, so I'm considering launching a line of 'giraffe woman' rings. This experience has fulfilled my desire for show business, and I am now focused on pursuing entrepreneurship."
So after years of wearing neck rings, Sydney couldn’t be happier. She feels a lot of love for her partner and their little family together. And despite all the pain that the rings had caused her, Sydney is not discouraged. She is determined to turn her passion for giraffes into a business of selling removable neck coils as beauty-enhancing accessories. With her love for giraffes and her unique experience, Sydney is well on her way to becoming a successful entrepreneur!
Sources: Oh my mag, Huffpost | Images: Instagram/ Sydney V Smith, John Asadi, Josh Fogel, Youtube video stills, Jeffery R. Werner/ IncredibleFeatures.com, News D, Facebook, Pexels, Flickr/ Rich Bailey, Destriyana/ Merdeka.com/ Sydney V. Smith, Flickr/ Sydney V. Smith