Little miracle Jessica inspires Sunderland couple to lose 20st

Fiona Williams, from Canon Cockin Street, Hendon, was faced with the devastating news that her baby may not survive after doctors struggled to get a clear scan picture due to her weight.

At 18st 9lb and a size 24, Fiona was told by a consultant that she should prepare to lose her baby naturally in a matter of weeks - or that if her child made it to full term - they had close to a 0% chance of the baby surviving.

Fiona shed around seven stone and is now a slim size 12-14, weighing 11 and a half stone.

Meanwhile Lee lost 12 and a half stone, going from weighing 25st to just 12 and a half stone. Formerly a 46 inch waist, he is now a slim size 30 inch waist.

Fiona, a clinical care assistant for the North East Ambulance Service, said: “Life has a way of making you stop and take a look at what is going on and none more so than the build up to the birth of our daughter in 2015.

“Pregnancy for us was filled with uncertainty and a worrying time.

“Already being placed as high risk due to my weight was not a great feeling and unclear scan pictures as a result of my weight also hit home.

“From the beginning of the pregnancy I was told that because of my high BMI and low fluid doctors were not getting very clear scan photos so they couldn’t tell what was going on properly.

“When I went to see a consultant he said there was something wrong with the baby, but they couldn’t tell what because the scan photos were not great.

“So he said be prepared to lose it in the next few weeks naturally, or if I went full term there was close to a 0% chance of it surviving.”

Thankfully the 41-year-old went on to give birth to daughter Jessica Williams, who was born eight weeks prematurely, back in March 2015.

The experience shocked Fiona and partner Lee Walt into action and the couple signed up to Slimming World in March 2016, in a bid to lose the weight that had such huge implications on the family.

Since joining the group at St Johns Methodist Church on Ashbrooke Road, both Lee and Fiona have transformed themselves by losing around 20st between them.

And their huge weight loss has meant that they are now able to run around after their daughter Jessica, now aged three.

Fiona said: “Being told that she had as close to a 0% chance of survival without saying 0%, shocked us.

“Had I not been the weight that I was they would have been able to have clear scan photos.

“Tiredness, aching body and the unhealthy, lazy routine we had got ourselves into caused us to face facts.

“We were now responsible for a child and our actions could affect her life too, how we ate, what we looked like, our health and abilities could all have a severe impact on our daughter.

“Fortunately things turned out well and our daughter arrived early, but safely.

“She is our little miracle.”