Excess Skin Removal Surgery

I need to raise £12,000 to have surgery for excess skin removal.

Who I am?

My name is Jeremy Griffiths and I am 33 years of age. I spent all of my teenage years and adult life, until about 6 months ago, medically obese. In the last 18 months I lost 15 stone. I did this through calorie control and strict counting. As I lost the weight so my energy levels went up and allowed me to do some physical things that I hadn't been able to do previously.

You can see more photos of my transformation here: joinjeremy.com

The problem:

I lost all the weight without medical intervention and at no cost to the NHS. As a result of me losing over 50% of my body weight I suffer with a lot of excess skin. I have enquired since about having the surgery but it's an extremely long wait (3+ years) even to be put forward for the surgical funding. Due to the current strain on the NHS there would be very little chance of the procedure being approved.

Issues:

Cosmetically to me the skin is unsightly. It makes running or even jogging problematic. Taking a flight of stairs quickly often draws attention due to the noise. Cleaning is staying clean is a concern. Yeast infections can be common with excess folds of skin. Clothes do not fit correctly and I have no real way of know my true weight. The surgery carries a risk, due to my massive weight loss but also because any major surgery carries a risk.

Track record?

I've worked all my life. Though a significant bought of depression, being morbidly obese and since I left university in 2001. I made some bad choices whilst depressed and I'm not financially in the position I would have hoped to be at this point in my life. I have struggled to find work the past 6 months being in and out of temporary jobs due to my location and inability to drive.

What can I offer in return?

I have a website which is designed to support people in a similar position as myself prior to the weight loss. I will set up a dedicated section about my surgical procedure to keep you all informed. I'll keep it updated with videos and photos as well as articles on the whole process. I'm entirely happy to remain accountable for every penny of the money raised. There are also a number of rewards available here for higher donations.