Kentish Express Ashford & District

Slimmer is to go under knife after £28,000 donation

Anonymous donor helps young man’s appeal

- By Georgia Woolf gwoolf@thekmgroup.co.uk @Georgia_WoolfKM

A young man who once weighed 34-stone is to have the loose skin caused by his dramatic weight loss removed after receiving £28,000 from an anonymous donor.

Jack Towers, of Hillbrow Lane, Ashford, has lost more than 18-stone since joining Slimming World almost two years ago after doctors warned he was closed to developing diabetes.

He faced raising £35,000 to cover the cost of the full body lift after medical staff told him the procedure was not available on the NHS - but he has now smashed the target after receiving the anonymous donation.

The 21-year-old has now set a date for the surgery after the fundraisin­g page passed the £40,000 mark.

Mr Towers, a customer care assistant at the Brakes food company, said: “The surgery has been booked and on May 14 I’ll be going under the knife in London to have my loose skin removed.

“Dreams really do come true and I cannot wait to see what the rest of the year has ahead of me.”

Mr Towers has developed a large following on social media since starting his weight loss journey back in 2017.

He has more than 141,000 people following his Instagram account - @towers_weightjour­ney.

One of his followers set up a GoFundMe page in September to help him cover the costs of the surgery.

Suzie Skene - who started the campaign - said: “Jack has been following a healthy eating plan and has lost more than 18 stone.

“He is left with loose skin and surgery is going to cost him a lot of money.

“He isn’t getting this surgery on the NHS and has to pay out of his own pocket.”

To view the fundraisin­g page, visit https://bit.ly/2HeKn5e

 ??  ?? Jack is now set to go under the knife in May
Jack is now set to go under the knife in May
 ??  ?? The 21-year-old before his dramatic weight loss
The 21-year-old before his dramatic weight loss

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Kingdom