In June 2016 I found out my husband was terminally ill. He needed a heart transplant but was not well enough to survive the surgery. At that time I weighed 26 stone 3lbs and could barely care for myself. I couldn’t walk more than 5 minutes and I was constantly in pain but I had to become my husband’s carer! We had to give up our jobs and lost our home. I knew I had to do something to enable me to care for my husband so on 4th January 2017 I joined a WW - Weight Watchers Re-imagined. I have now lost over 13 stone! I still have just over 11lbs to lose but I have totally changed my life! I’ve gone from being unable to walk to now running the Couch to 5k, walking an hour a day and strength training 3 times a week.

My journey over the last 2 years has been incredible and has given me so many amazing health benefits. Sadly it has also left me with a massive amount of excess skin. I have worked really hard to try to improve this myself through exercise and strength training but with such a large weight loss there is only so much I can do. The only remaining option is surgery.

The NHS does not see excess skin removal as a necessary surgery despite the health problems, both physical and mental, that it causes. They were happy to offer me a gastric bypass on the NHS but, when I said no and did it on my own, they were no longer willing to help. I am so proud of my journey and the changes I have made to my life but on bad days I just want to put the weight back on to get rid of this hideous skin. Excess skin can become painful when exercising and can cause sores. It is deeply unpleasant and upsetting. After all this work I just want to feel normal.

The surgeries I need include Complex Abdominoplasty, Arm Reduction and Thigh Lift. This can cost up to £23,000!! My husband and I survive on benefits and a very small amount of money from my current part time job. We have desperately tried to save for my surgery but will never achieve the amounts we need. I have never had to claim benefits in my life before and find it so hard to have to beg for money. Can you please help?

Any amount no matter how small would be appreciated so much to complete my weight loss journey!