Malissa Jones’ shocking real-life story of how she went from being Britain’s fattest teen to fighting an eating disorder appears in CLOSER magazine and the DAILY MAIL website today.
Malissa first sought my advice by filling in the sell my story form in 2009. That was a year after Malissa, then aged 17 and weighing over 34 stones, had a gastric bypass. Having lost over half her body weight, her NHS gastric surgery was hailed a success.
But even then, there were problems. Malissa had always had great difficulty eating and often felt unwell.
However, her story then went into the News of the World newspaper as well as two women’s magazines.
I like to keep in touch with Featureworld interviewees and I was dismayed to discover that around a year after doing the stories, Malissa was unhappy. She had lost so much weight, she’d been left with saggy skin and having learnt she couldn’t have it sorted on the NHS, fell into a depression.
She began regretting the surgery and I placed her story again, this time with Closer magazine, about how she hated her new body so much, she wished she’d never had the surgery done.
Then last year Malissa found out she was unexpectedly pregnant – only her joy was clouded by the fact doctors warned her having a baby could be fatal. This story appeared just before Christmas, once again in Closer magazine.
But three days after it was published, Malissa was rushed into hospital – she had lost so much weight, her baby was malnourished. Tragically, eight weeks ago, he was born too early to survive. Malissa, who almost lost her own life during his delivery, has since been diagnosed with anorexia.
Doctors have told her if she doesn’t start eating properly, she could have as little as six months to live. But Malissa, now 20, still finds eating so painful that every tiny mouthful is a struggle and consequently she is still losing weight. She tells the latest instalment of this shockingly sad story in Closer today and also on Mailonline.
I can only hope that Malissa does get better – I will keep you posted…
Do you have an eating disorders story to sell? Have you had gastric surgery to lose weight? All interviewees who sell their stories can be assured of the utmost care and attention – and a personal service when I sell their story. Do contact me: alison@featureworld.co.uk
Read more: Alison represents Malissa Jones
Malissa Jones: Weight battle
