Help me say goodbye to my excess skin

I’m one of those people -- those “half their size” folks featured in before and after pictures in magazines and on Instagram. Our stories inspire others to lose weight and keep it off.

Except there’s more to my story. And I need your help to finish this chapter.

My name is Lawrence Mclendon. I live in Jacksonville, Florida. Three years ago, my life fell apart when I lost my wife and kids. I was depressed and suffering from PTSD from earlier traumas in my life. I was even homeless for a spell.

During that time, I “ate my feelings” and gained a lot of weight. Food was my comfort when I was down. I was a little under 300 pounds and on the fast track to getting diabetes.

Around New Year’s Day in 2018, something clicked in my mind. I heard a voice saying, “stop feeling sorry for yourself and make a change.” I decided it was time for me to stop wallowing in my shame and guilt and take the steps toward losing weight.

In January, I made a new life resolution to make positive changes, starting with my weight. From that time until October I worked my butt off and lost 120 pounds, going from 289 to 149 pounds. I did this by changing my diet and pushing myself in the gym, working out every day from 5 a.m. until around Noon.

There was just one problem: When you lose as much weight as I did, you have a bunch of loose skin left over. It’s a problem for a lot of people who lose weight fast.

Even though I was happier after losing weight, I couldn’t show off my new body because I wasn’t confident enough to wear anything that might expose my embarrassing loose skin.

I worked to build muscle. I tried every wrap and cream that promises to remove excess skin after weight loss.

Not one thing made the loose skin around my chest and stomach go away.

The only solution based on my research is to have the skin surgically removed and tightened by a cosmetic surgeon.

This was a huge challenge to me before the COVID-19 pandemic due to the steep price of surgery, which can be up to $15,000.

I have been building my career in health and wellness as a massage therapist as well as a weight loss coach helping others in the gym in my spare time. I've dedicated myself these last couple of years to helping others reach their weight loss goals naturally. I have personally helped people lose more than 400 pounds so far.

Unfortunately, when coronavirus spread and every community around the world shut down gyms and spas everywhere, massage therapists like me were banned from practicing. I’m also unable to go to the gym. So I’ve been out of work and struggling just to make ends meet. That puts my dream of getting my excess skin removed even farther out of reach.

I don’t like to ask for help. I’m a person who has always lifted myself up by my own bootstraps. But in this situation, I am feeling I can’t do this on my own. I am turning to the generosity of others in the hopes that my story will move them to help me with a small donation.

I am looking to raise $15,000 to cover the initial cost of my excess skin removal surgery. Any amount you can donate will help move me toward my goal, whether $1 or $1,000.

If you can’t afford to donate, you can still help! Please share my story with your friends and on your social media pages. You could also help by reaching out to a qualified cosmetic surgeon in Florida who might be willing to do my surgery pro bono as a way to give back to the community and/or to share a unique story like mine for inspiration and to raise awareness of their work. Feel free to share this page with them if you think she or he might be interested.

I hope that when I get my excess skin removed, it will inspire people everywhere struggling with their weight to accomplish what I have. Thank you for any support you can offer toward helping me finish my inspiring weight loss story!

I wish you all health and wellness.

Respectfully,
Lawrence