Back in 2012, teenager Kaitlyn Smith weighed 414lbs and was seeking the help of doctors for a gastric bypass surgery so she may lose the unhealthy pounds she acquired over the years. After one unfortunate meeting with one doctor, Kaitlyn decided that she was going to take matters into her own hands and fight her battle with obesity the old fashion way – with diet and exercise.
Over two years later, she has lost 207lbs and is continuing to stick with her healthy regime and exercising. But she is now struggling with the excess skin that has been left behind and now is now seeking to raise $30,000 on GoFundMe for a surgery that will remove the unhealthy skin for good. During a recent interview with People magazine, Kaitlyn stated, “I felt like a burden to my family. I had given up. [My beachbody coach] taught me how to eat healthy and how to exercise. I made no excuses. I work out hard.”
Although Kaitlyn shared that the reason why she wants the surgery is because the excess skin is the only thing keeping her from feeling completely beautiful, other factors include that the skin gets caught on zippers and is infected easily. It also rubs on her clothes and causes blood blisters. “My skin skirt hangs down and causes pain in my back and hips.”
Kaitlyn’s plastic surgeon, Kevin F. Hagan at Vanderbilt University explained, “When patients lose that much weight, nothing they can do will change that extra skin except surgery. We can tight things up and make them feel good about themselves.”
During her campaigning on GoFundMe, Kaitlyn has raised $12,000 for her upcoming surgery (January 21st), and is currently seeking to raise $11,000 for her two other surgeries. She kept track of her weigh loss journey on Instagram and Facebook. “I was hesitant at first, but people started thanking me for being so courageous,” She added. “I realized I couldn’t help others. I finally know why I was chosen for this journey.”