Kayla Butcher is a 24-year-old telemarketer and self-described "funky haired lady" from Winsor, Ontario, who has documented her impressive 186 pound weight loss on Instagram over the past year. 186 pounds is like a full grown man. I've lost one of those before and I know it feels great! I'll be here all week, folks!
In addition to changing her diet and exercising, Butcher underwent gastric bypass surgery in February of 2016, which she says helped her lose weight because it forced her to quit her "drug of choice cold turkey." She looks amazing and happy:
But though her health and happiness seem to have skyrocketed, she still struggles with a downside of extreme weight loss: loose skin.
Butcher calls the ring of loose skin around her belly her "apron" and said the "next chapter" in her weight loss process is to work on removing it.
But this gets expensive. Although her gastric bypass surgery was covered by the Canadian government, cosmetic surgery to remove loose skin is not. To remove the excess skin from her arms, legs, stomach and breasts could cost her upwards of $20,000. Yikes.
So Butcher is appealing to the kindness of strangers, by starting a GoFundMe page to help cover the costs. On the page, she outlines her whole weight loss journey and explains why she needs financial help:
Hi,
My name is Kayla Butcher and I am looking for any help I can get to allow me to get my excess skin removal surgeries done.
Let me tell you a little about myself, I am 24 years old and I work full time at a call center . I had Roux en y gastric bypass surgery on February 8th, 2016. I topped the scale at 376.5 pounds before surgery. I am down to 191 pounds. I am not done yet. I am so incredibly proud of myself and how far I have come.
Unfortunately even after losing 185 pounds I am now left with excessive loose skin that will need surgery to fix. It is considered a cosmetic surgery and is not covered.
It is very emotionally difficult to deal with, finally being freed from the weight I've carried since I was a child but still feeling trapped inside a body that constantly reminds me of the lifetime of pain and struggle. Wearing clothes is more difficult and being intimate is even more so daunting than before. Things like wearing swimsuits. I have started saving here and there myself but need some help.
I left a very unhealthy home environment at 16 years old and have been doing it on my own since. I am momma Bear to the rest of my siblings and friends. I do all I can on a regular basis to help others in need and I am now asking for some help in return. No one's life is easy that's for sure, however I have struggled to get by at this point and it would take me years to save for these surgeries on my own. I have become a really big inspiration for alot of people and keep being asked to make a go fund me so people can help out, any donations are greatly appreciated.Thank you so much, sending all my love from this funky haired lady!
In the past week, she's already raised $2,075 of her $10k goal. Get it, girl!