Dear Friends,  

My name is Ololade Akinsulire.  With a prayerful heart full of gratitude I ask for your help.  My journey begins with my major weight/obesity(typically categorized as one who is 100 or more pounds overweight) struggle since I was about the age of 18. By the time I reached only 21 years old I was well over 300 pounds. My obesity greatly affected my mental, physical and emotional health. I had high blood pressure, heart palpitations, joint pain, difficulty walking and was over a size 30 in woman's clothing and was at a greater risk for even more health problems. I was in a very deep state of depression. My Doctor told me if I didn’t lose the weight I wouldn’t live long. When I was 31, I decided to take control—I wanted my life back.  I began a vigorous diet and exercise regimen. I was successful and was able to lose over 160 pounds over the course of about 5 years.  I never thought I could do it, but I did—with lots of prayer, discipline and willpower.  But with such a drastic weight loss, I now face another problem—Excessive sagging skin and fat folds which causes a great amount of pain, discomfort, irritation, and skin rashes. I also have to wear compression garments underneath my clothing to hide all of the excess skin. I have decided it would be a great benefit for me to undergo reconstructive/corrective surgery to restore functional impairment and mobility. I have had a few consultations with a few doctors but was told that the surgery wasn’t covered under my health insurance.  The surgery costs thousands of dollars and I cannot afford it. I greatly appreciate your support and consideration in helping me fund this reconstructive surgery. I would be the happiest woman in the world. God Bless You.