Lionel Messi Needed Growth Hormones

Argentine footballer Lionel Messi was diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency at age 11 and required daily human growth hormone injections until around age 14 to help him reach a normal adult height. At the time of his diagnosis in Rosario, Argentina, Messi stood about 4 feet 4 inches tall, and doctors predicted he might reach only about 4 feet 7 inches without treatment. The injections reportedly cost about $1,500 per month, placing a heavy burden on his family until FC Barcelona agreed to help pay for his treatment after signing him as a teenager.

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