Mother and daughter lose a massive TEN STONE between them

Karen Taylor said : "As a child, I had always been bigger than other children my age and was taunted for my weight, leaving me feeling self-conscious, unaccepted and lacking in confidence.

"With the demands of a new baby, living away from friends and family in the armed forces, feeling low about my weight and trying to cope with a difficult marriage, I saw comfort in food and continued to pile the weight on.

"During 2005 when Jess was 11 years old she began to feel unwell, suffering with headaches. Doctors put her headaches down to sinusitis and then diagnosed glue ear, but over time she began to vomit uncontrollably after eating and began to lose her balance. This time the Doctors put this down to an eating disorder.

Over the course of a year to a year and a half, Jess’ health continued to decline. She was forgetting the simplest of things, still suffering headaches, vomiting and had lost a dramatic amount of weight.

In July 2007, now aged 13 and after returning home from a Guides trip, Jess announced to her mumWhat she had double vision.

Karen said: "I took her to a local optician where the Ophthalmologist referred us to A&E.

"After seeing a Doctor in A&E, we were advised that Jess needed to be seen by a Specialist at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, where we were given an appointment for two days later.

"We arrived the afternoon of Tuesday, 31st July where Jess was examined. Specialists then advised that they needed to keep Jess in, and she would undergo an MRI scan the next day. At this point they suspected hydrocephalies due to the optic nerves being so swollen.

"Wednesday, 1st August 2007 became the worst day of my life, and every parent’s nightmare."

"Jess was scanned at 12.30pm and at 4.00pm I was given the devastating news that she had a large brain tumour. That evening, after Doctors explained to Jess why she was so ill, we were transferred to The John Radcliffe Children’s Hospital, Oxford."

During the seven and a half hour’s operation where surgeons were only able to remove 70% of the tumour, Jess bled out and suffered a stroke.

Karen added the following three days "became a blur" of sitting in intensive care, holding Jess’ hand and listening to machines bleeping and keeping her daughter alive.

After three days Doctors began to wake Jess and eventually took her off life support.

"One week after her initial operation, I was then given further devastating news that the tumour was a very aggressive form, with survival rate statistics being just 5 years.

"After months of chemotherapy, followed by radiotherapy, Jess spent a further two years learning to walk again with the help of family and a physiotherapist.

"During this time, I continued to comfort eat through my pain, as my energy was taken up with hospital appointments, treatment, caring for Jess, helping her through her GCSE’s as her teaching assistant, and focusing on her recovery."

Jess had unfortunately gained weight following her treatment, lack of mobility and having been prescribed steroids and felt low about her weight.

Karen added: "We were both fed up of being out of breath when climbing the stairs, having a lack of energy, and feeling so low about ourselves, that at the end of 2017 we decided enough was enough.

"I knew I needed to lose a drastic amount of weight."

On the 1st January this year, after Jess had also met with our consultant, they embarked on a weight loss journey together.

"In the first week Jess had managed to lose a staggering 11lbs and I had lost 12lbs. This was the boost we both drastically needed to continue going."

In March this year Jess became an Accredited Cambridge Weight Plan Consultant after losing just over 3 stones, and by August this year, after losing 7 stones Karen also became Accredited and Joint Consultant with Jess.

"After years of struggling with our weight, we are passionate to help others lose weight and get their life back, but more importantly become healthy.

"The obesity and diabetes epidemic is forever growing, and we did not want to be susceptible to the illnesses associated from being largely overweight.

"We now make healthy food choices, have oodles of energy, no longer feel self-conscious and we finally have our lives back, all thanks to Cambridge Weight Plan and of course our consultant.

"We are passionate to help others lose weight, feel good but more importantly become healthy, and regularly advertise special offers for new and existing clients, to either start or continue their weight loss journey to a happier and healthier life.