Meet Danielle. She's being incredibly brave right now. This is her body. After losing nearly 250 pounds this is the extra skin that is left behind. I'm sharing her story because she’s a young, active and amazing person who has been at her goal weight for three years. We (her tribe of friends and family) simply don't accept that the reward for achieving her fitness goal should include having to carry an extra 30+ pounds of unnecessary skin on her adventures kayaking, hiking, and to her job as a Massage Therapist.
Extra skin is holding Danielle back, it’s weighing her body down and creating a myriad of other health complication and functional issues -- it's time for it to go!
Let's be honest, it's difficult to put things out here like this, the world can be judgmental, but like I said, Danielle is brave. We live in a society where the social stigma of obesity is real and anti-fat attitudes have perpetuated many harmful weight-based stereotypes. Danielle can confirm from experience that, when you live in a large body, total strangers assume you are either lazy, lack intelligence or have no will power. As you continue to read this my only wish is that you will try to be mindful of your thoughts and intentions. Many people don’t intend to be hurtful, but for some, the "extra skin" left behind after weight loss still triggers mean assumptions.
If you're here to be kind I'd love to tell you more about the most badass friend who adopted me on sight about 22 years ago when I started 8th grade at a new school. Danielle was/is and will continue to be the most fearless person I know. Her wild sense of adventure propels her to move/live anywhere, her sense of humor is without boundary and her ability to see goodness literally everywhere is astounding. She’s always helping people see past their own negativity to find things they can laugh about and be thankful for. The best part is she doesn't seem to know any of this about herself, she just thinks she’s a goofball. Her compassion for others compelled her to devote much of her adult life to working with adults with disabilities – clients would quickly steal her heart and become more of a friend than a job.
If the most snuggly teddy bear had a baby with a fierce and wild dragon, that'd be Danielle; lovable, huggable, adventurous and totally badass.
Danielle's weight loss journey didn't start because she craved social acceptance or hated her body. In some ways fitness was a side effect of her goal to practice self love and discover what made her body feel healthy so her spirit would be free to feel more joy. If you're picturing Danielle right now just put her in her happy place, paddling down a long river in a kayak on a beautiful day. Her massage therapy business is thriving as evidence of her own deeply personal commitment to helping others cultivate that same sense of wellness, self love and joy.
The dark flip side is that I've watched Danielle field a lifetime of insulting compliments, "Oh, your face is so pretty!" While many of us get to go to the beach to relax she's actually had cruel people point, hurl insults and even video tape her in a bathing suit like she's a public spectacle or the punch line to a beached whale joke. Overall, she takes it all in stride with a wicked sense of humor and the ability to see straight through people who are ugly on the inside. But I believe I've watched her work twice as hard as everyone else to be valued half as much, and get passed over just because she lives in a large body. The only reason this isn't a sad story is because this girl doesn't quit! After all the bad she’s experienced from the world she consistently repays meanness with kindness and indifference with empathy and compassion.
Danielle was brave long before she stripped down to a sports bra to show you some skin here, this girl has been brave all her life, it's her superpower. Financially she's been stuck at this expensive final step that she can’t fix without some very specific medical help. That's why she's willing to show you how buried her strong, muscular body is under all this extra skin.
Danielle and her mom, Sharon, have met with an excellent, board certified, plastic surgeon in Northeast FL who has created a plan to remove the excess skin around her arms, chest and belly. She is prepared to handle the down time and loss of income to her business, but after all the tests, surgical fees, and follow up appointments she has been advised to budget $20,000. If we can help Danielle come up with the funds her surgery will be scheduled for July of 2021 and if (by miracle of miracles) people feel SO generous that we raise OVER $20k every extra cent will be put towards the next surgery on her lower torso (which could be an additional $15k).
We get it, it’s expensive. If any one of us could write the check we'd gladly do it, but at this point our best bet is YOU, your kindness, your generosity, and literally whatever amount you can contribute. We promise we’ll appreciate every dollar and we promise we’ll pay it forward someday.
If you can't give that's okay too, we've all been there, but please consider sharing this so it reaches others.
Thank you
Extra skin is holding Danielle back, it’s weighing her body down and creating a myriad of other health complication and functional issues -- it's time for it to go!
Let's be honest, it's difficult to put things out here like this, the world can be judgmental, but like I said, Danielle is brave. We live in a society where the social stigma of obesity is real and anti-fat attitudes have perpetuated many harmful weight-based stereotypes. Danielle can confirm from experience that, when you live in a large body, total strangers assume you are either lazy, lack intelligence or have no will power. As you continue to read this my only wish is that you will try to be mindful of your thoughts and intentions. Many people don’t intend to be hurtful, but for some, the "extra skin" left behind after weight loss still triggers mean assumptions.
If you're here to be kind I'd love to tell you more about the most badass friend who adopted me on sight about 22 years ago when I started 8th grade at a new school. Danielle was/is and will continue to be the most fearless person I know. Her wild sense of adventure propels her to move/live anywhere, her sense of humor is without boundary and her ability to see goodness literally everywhere is astounding. She’s always helping people see past their own negativity to find things they can laugh about and be thankful for. The best part is she doesn't seem to know any of this about herself, she just thinks she’s a goofball. Her compassion for others compelled her to devote much of her adult life to working with adults with disabilities – clients would quickly steal her heart and become more of a friend than a job.
If the most snuggly teddy bear had a baby with a fierce and wild dragon, that'd be Danielle; lovable, huggable, adventurous and totally badass.
Danielle's weight loss journey didn't start because she craved social acceptance or hated her body. In some ways fitness was a side effect of her goal to practice self love and discover what made her body feel healthy so her spirit would be free to feel more joy. If you're picturing Danielle right now just put her in her happy place, paddling down a long river in a kayak on a beautiful day. Her massage therapy business is thriving as evidence of her own deeply personal commitment to helping others cultivate that same sense of wellness, self love and joy.
The dark flip side is that I've watched Danielle field a lifetime of insulting compliments, "Oh, your face is so pretty!" While many of us get to go to the beach to relax she's actually had cruel people point, hurl insults and even video tape her in a bathing suit like she's a public spectacle or the punch line to a beached whale joke. Overall, she takes it all in stride with a wicked sense of humor and the ability to see straight through people who are ugly on the inside. But I believe I've watched her work twice as hard as everyone else to be valued half as much, and get passed over just because she lives in a large body. The only reason this isn't a sad story is because this girl doesn't quit! After all the bad she’s experienced from the world she consistently repays meanness with kindness and indifference with empathy and compassion.
Danielle was brave long before she stripped down to a sports bra to show you some skin here, this girl has been brave all her life, it's her superpower. Financially she's been stuck at this expensive final step that she can’t fix without some very specific medical help. That's why she's willing to show you how buried her strong, muscular body is under all this extra skin.
Danielle and her mom, Sharon, have met with an excellent, board certified, plastic surgeon in Northeast FL who has created a plan to remove the excess skin around her arms, chest and belly. She is prepared to handle the down time and loss of income to her business, but after all the tests, surgical fees, and follow up appointments she has been advised to budget $20,000. If we can help Danielle come up with the funds her surgery will be scheduled for July of 2021 and if (by miracle of miracles) people feel SO generous that we raise OVER $20k every extra cent will be put towards the next surgery on her lower torso (which could be an additional $15k).
We get it, it’s expensive. If any one of us could write the check we'd gladly do it, but at this point our best bet is YOU, your kindness, your generosity, and literally whatever amount you can contribute. We promise we’ll appreciate every dollar and we promise we’ll pay it forward someday.
If you can't give that's okay too, we've all been there, but please consider sharing this so it reaches others.
Thank you
Organizer and beneficiary
Sarah Kuzma
Organizer
Ocala, FL
Danielle Perales
Beneficiary