Charity Pierce is believed to be the heaviest women in the world. Housebound, her extreme size has put her life on hold, and now she’s desperate for help. She fears time is running out to save her life and marry fiance Tony who is seventeen years her junior.
“I’m scared of losing her. If she doesn’t get this help,” says Tony.
Charity has weighed over 500 pounds since her early teens. Doctors have urged her to diet and exercise but an accident in the year 2000 severely hampered her mobility, and hurt her pride when lymphedema developed.
“I just got embarrassed going outside, because of course everyone would look at me,” says Charity.
Charity now longs for a gastric bypass surgery, which would stem her insatiable appetite.
But the operation can only be performed safety if she loses 200 pounds herself.
To help shed some pounds off, Charity is trying to exercise more and is on a diet restricting her to just 1,200 calories a day compared to her previous intake of 10,000.
“We‘d have Chinese, or we’d make chips & dip, tacos, ice cream for lunch. We'd have like anything,” remarks Charity.
For 18-year-old daughter Charly, growing up was very different to other kids.
“Everyone else was doing other stuff and I was at home taking care of my mom. It’s just kind of what’s normal to me,” says Charly.
And Charity’s condition has had a serious effect on their relationship.
“I used to be really really close to my mom, and now I’m just not at all. Like it’s constant fighting and arguing because I’m getting to the point where I’ve done it for so long that it’s very easy to be frustrated and we just fight a lot”, explains Charly.
The couple dream of tying the not soon, but Charity’s mobility issues have overshadowed the wedding plans.
“I want a big wedding; I want to be able to fit into a dress. If I wanted to get married in my living room I'd already be married,” says Charity.
While she and Tony discuss venues, Charity tasks Charly with hunting for the perfect wedding dress at David’s Bridal, where she feeds back her findings on video.
Charity knows her wish will only come true if she can reach her target weight. Her physician, osteopath Ben Miller, is coming to check her progress by weighing her for the first time in four months.
“765 pounds. This probably makes you right up there with some of the heaviest women in the world.”
For Charity, the news of only losing 22 pounds after four weeks of crash dieting is devastating, but Dr. Miller hopes the blow might motivate her.
“Is this going to be the straw that broke the camel’s back, or is going to be the motivation you need to work harder, to continue with all the good changes that you’ve made in your lifestyle already?” asks Miller.
“I’m not giving up. It’s going to take longer obviously, but I’m not giving up. Whatever it takes to get there right?!” replies Charity.
It appears the lesson has paid off, and Charity looks forward to the future with a positive outlook.
“I think anybody can be turned around with help. I think anybody has a chance with help. Whether it’s losing weight, quitting smoking, quitting drinking, quitting drugs, I think anybody has a chance with help.”
