Obese woman who shed 20st is raising cash to have A STONE of excess skin removed
Candice Williams used to wear a size 38
LOSING 20 stone would be hard work enough, but one woman's battle with her body isn't over yet.
Candice Williams is now trying to raise money for the last of the £25,000 she needs for surgery to remove the STONE of excess skin she's been left with.
At her heaviest, Candice tipped the scales at 32 stone and was so big she couldn't even fasten a seat belt and had to buy size 38 clothes.
It was when her weight didn't register on bathroom scales that she realised she needed to change.
Although she's lost a staggering 20 stone, Candice has been left with dropped skin which is getting her down.
"If I do a headstand, my entire body droops and sags,” the customer service worker from North Carolina, America, said.
“I’ve spent my life feeling like nothing, because that’s what everyone said I was.
"Even now, though I’m so proud of what I’ve achieved, my skin is a reminder of that.”
Candice has already spent £15,000 on operations to solve her skin issue, which she paid for by loans, saving and fundraising.
Now she needs £10,000 to finish the procedures.
"If I had the money, I’d have the surgery tomorrow. It would mean everything to me," she said.
"I’ve tried using medical insurance, but the procedure is considered cosmetic.
"I’ve even written to television shows looking for a sponsor, but so far haven’t found the right place.
“I refuse to give up though."
Candice has been overweight her whole life, and by the time she was 10 she was already wearing an XXL.
She got into a vicious circle of feeling down so munching on crisps, cakes and biscuits.
No matter how many diets she tried, none of them every stuck and she didn't feel comfortable having romantic relationships.
The turning point came in 2009, when her weight was too high for normal scales.
She started working out, walking at first and then exercising in different ways.
She's now 14 stone and only has another 8lb to lose before she's at her goal.
“I do still have an addiction to food, and it’s easy for me to get sucked back in, so I won’t buy certain things until I’m mentally stronger in controlling myself," she said.
"I still struggle daily with self esteem.
"When you’re told you’re disgusting and teased daily for two decades, it’s really hard to fix that.
“I am proud of my journey but that doesn’t mean I am not still haunted by that almost 35st 7lbs girl I once was."
