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Save me with the sleeve

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Hi, my names Samantha or Sammie.

I'm 31 and live in the UK. All my life I have struggled with my weight, and I mean all my life. I was a big child. Even from the age of 2, I was a little chubby kid. I went to school and the lbs just kept on coming. By the end of year 6, I was really overweight for my age. I went to high school and was bullied so bad, that my weight never came off, because I just ate to comfort it. I left high school, got pregnant and I ballooned to the biggest I've ever been...23 stone. I managed to lose a bit over the years, even after having babies and such, but it's just never stuck, no matter how hard I tried. Back in 2019, I started Slimming World, after trying dieting every other way. I managed to lose weight too.. go me! Problem is, it didn't last. Covid 19 happened and Slimming World shut and I was unable to do it virtually, and I put the 6 stone I managed to lose, back on in less than the space of two years.

I hate myself for not being able to keep it off, so I've been thinking about doing the only thing that I think will help me, and get WLS. I know, there are people out there that will say or think, "well why can't she just exercise and eat less, it's not hard?" I've tried, I really have. I think I have underlying problems that don't help, I just haven't been diagnosed with having said problems..

NHS waiting times aren't exactly great. I'm looking at 3-5 years most likely before I'll even be considered for surgery, then if I fail the tests, the wait is for nothing.

I want it over with now, but I can't afford private unless I get help. I've looked into getting credit cards to pay for it, but my credit score must be rubbish as I can't even get half the money I need on one. I only do part-time at work and have two kids to look after, I can't afford to pay for private by myself. Even with my partner's money, we're still too poor to save up.

I don't know how else to do this, I don't want to have to do this.. asking random people to donate money so I can be healthy, is the last thing I want. I'd love to be able to pay for myself or lose it without this, but I just can't. I feel like it's my only option. I don't want to die young, and if I don't do this, I'm at risk of doing just that.

I wouldn't ask if I wasn't so worried about my health. I am worried about waiting any longer than I need to, and then not being here when my time comes around to get the surgery. My body aches.. and I have bad knees, a bad back, and bad dental problems, even though I look after my teeth. I just want to be able to be here for my kids a little longer than I would be if I continue down the unhealthy path I'm currently on. I want to be able to play with my 3-year-old son, without being too tired to do so. I want to be able to go for walks and enjoy my life. Not sit in my house worried about going out because I can't walk further than a few miles or worrying about what people think of me. I want to be able to take my kids to a theme park, and not worry about having to do the fat person walk of shame when I don't fit on the rides. There is so much I want to do, and this will help me with it all.

I've had enough of this life.  I'm sick of being unhealthy, I'm sick of having no confidence, I'm sick of being unhappy. I just want to change. 

 

Thanks for reading.

Organizer

Sammie Turner
Organizer
England

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