Amputee in need of new leg loses 500 pounds. Source: NBC / WTHR
An amputee who was dangerously obese has revealed how he lost a whopping 221kg in order to stay alive - and now he's on a quest to help others.
Stanley Hollar revealed in a penned letter to Yahoo Be Australia that he's suffered weight issues since he was born.
"Even in Kindergarten I was nearly 45kg," he said.
"It was just something I lived with my entire life. From time to time, I [would] try to lose some of the excess [weight], just to gain it back — with interest."
But it was in 1996 that his world turned upside down. Hollar, 20 at the time, was told he needed to have his leg amputated after suffering a "devastating injury" during a soccer match.
"I wasn't even 40 years old yet," Stanley wrote. "The fear of dying was the motivation I needed."
"After a hospitalisation, I lost the weight I needed to in order to be eligible to get bariatric surgery. I used a hand bike to exercise, which is basically all that my body would allow me to do. I would just turn on some country music and work my hand bike. Over that time in the hospital I lost 31kg, after which I underwent bariatric Roux-en-Y surgery."
Stanley had to have his leg amputated back in 1996 after sustaining a serious injury while keeping goal in an indoor soccer game. Photo / YouCaring / Stanley Hollar
After recovering from surgery, Stanley made the decision to join the gym in an effort to drop more weight.
After seeking the help of a personal trainer, Stanley worked his weight off over the course of three years, losing more than 221kg.
Now weighing just 86kg, Stanley says losing the weight was difficult with just one leg to get around.
"I did and continue to do this with only one leg, hopping around the gym from station to station along with my wheelchair," Mr Hollar writes.
"How did I tackle my weight loss in the early stages? The same way you eat an elephant one bite at time. You start small and build. You go a little farther or you do a little more each day.
"I used to wear 8XL pants (70 inch-plus waist) and 6XL shirts. I now can wear XL pants, some of which are loose on me.
"I now wear 38-inch waist jeans. Shirts I wear are regular men's large. This past September, just two-and-a-half years later, I walked with my wheelchair as a scooter in a 5K. Start slow and tackle it one day, one step, one breath at a time. The key is to just start."
Stanley lost a whopping eight shirt and pants sizes during his weight loss journey. Photo / YouCaring / Stanley Hollar
Now that he's lost more than 220kg, Stanley is on a quest to be able to walk again.
However, the excess skin around his knee means he cannot be fitted with a prosthetic leg, something doctors desperately want to give Stanley.
The 43-year-old's friends have now started a crowdfunding page to help raise money to get Stanley's excess skin removed to allow him to walk again.
So far the fund has raised around US$13,000, just over half his goal of US$25,000.
In an update on his crowdfunding page, Stanley announced he is receiving his first skin removal surgery in June and hopes to soon be able to walk again.
And if all goes well, he'll have a second surgery in 2019, after which he'll hopefully "be properly fitted for [a] new prosthetic and starting to walk again by 2020".
Stanley Hollar has lost 221kg in three years after being warned by his doctors he wouldn't live to see his 40th birthday. Photo / YouCaring / Stanley Hollar
Stanley hopes his story can inspire others struggling with weight issues to be able to overcome their battles.
"Everybody can do this if you live in the moment. Don't plan for what you have to do in the next year, month, week, or tomorrow. You need to focus on the next minute. What do I need to do right now? Focus on your next move to get you to the move after that. Put one foot in front of the other. If you do this long enough and do not stop, I promise you will get where you want to go.
"If I can do it, you can do it. Never give up on the person you want to be."
