S07.E13: Kelly's Story

[Corvino]

What an episode! The whole time, I was worried about her because she was so alone. Lived alone on a basement floor (at least she and we were spared a scene of her falling backward down those stairs she had to struggle up!), and essentially had grown up without parents. It seemed as if she was a child of adultery, so her mother and father had never lived together and she was shut out of his real family life. And she couldn't  live with her mother till there was no alternative, because her mother was "traveling"? Eh what? So many really awful people on this show have been surrounded by loving, caring, enabling (if misguided) parents and partners and other relatives, and she, who deserved so much better, had such a thin, iffy support system.

And she didn't just have an episode or two of childhood molestation: she had an unspeakable POS who groomed her, raped her and tortured her for YEARS. With nobody to react appropriately when she told! But the way he (hooray!) ended-- what a story! She's at the bus stop, her rapist/torturer drives by in a car and smiles at her, she raises her eyes and starts her habit of praying for his death... and the bus hits his car and kills him. WOW!! If this were written as fiction, a lot of people would grumble about it being too incredible. And then she felt guilty about it. Oh, Kelly, no. You needn't have felt guilty about it if you'd killed him personally with a hammer.

Yes indeed, this episode showed Dr. Now lovable as never before. Starting with the taxi scene, where he tried to help pull her forward. I felt for him as well as her when he said it would be awful if she fell down between the seats, and then she did and it was awful. And then "Can he do this? Won't he hurt himself?" Then he was so gentle with her thereafter. I was very relieved when he sent her to the hospital and to rehab, so that she'd benefit from the magic of having to be on the healthy diet right away and lose a lot. The giant hamburger in rehab-- noooooo! But she got over that and lost over half her body weight.

I started to fear early on when she was silent and Dr. Now did many more than usual of the voiceovers, at points where the poundticipant usually does them. "Did she die?" I thought. Then I was relieved when we heard from her again. BUT...!! There was a reason for the paucity of her voiceovers; we got the sad news, right when she was on track and taking steps to finish college. I profoundly agree that it was excellent that if her health conditions meant she had to die, she died, suddenly, while she was hopeful as, perhaps, never before. And that she's now in a better place and full of joy.

But (in the Christian paradox: even when you believe in Heaven you cry about the sadness of a death like this, as even Jesus did) this was the first episode of the show that made me actually cry. Others were sad (Robert! I think he was actually the poundticipant who lost the most, even without the surgery, largely because he had one of those huge lymphedemas at his waist removed; down 500 pounds on just that and diet when he died) but this one brought the tears. And reading the Live Chat and this forum brings them back. Glad to have you guys to connect and sniffle with.

[aliya]

11 minutes ago, Corvino said:

 I profoundly agree that it was excellent that if her health conditions meant she had to die, she died, suddenly, while she was hopeful as, perhaps, never before. And that she's now in a better place and full of joy.

Amen.

[Scarlett45]

18 minutes ago, Corvino said:

What an episode! The whole time, I was worried about her because she was so alone. Lived alone on a basement floor (at least she and we were spared a scene of her falling backward down those stairs she had to struggle up!), and essentially had grown up without parents. It seemed as if she was a child of adultery, so her mother and father had never lived together and she was shut out of his real family life. And she couldn't  live with her mother till there was no alternative, because her mother was "traveling"? Eh what? So many really awful people on this show have been surrounded by loving, caring, enabling (if misguided) parents and partners and other relatives, and she, who deserved so much better, had such a thin, iffy support system.

Yes. It seemed that Kelly was the product of an affair and her mother really had no interest in being a parent to her. Her grandmother and grandfather did love her but after her grandfather’s passing (and perhaps her grandmother had health problems which lead to her going to senior living) Kelly was “stuck” living with her Mom. Given what I know growing up in the black community Kelly’s mom was encouraged to have Kelly and not place her for adoption (rather than terminate the pregnancy or place the baby) even though she didn’t want to be a parent. The grandparents probably told her “just have the baby and we will raise it”.

Kelly’s Dad had no “ill will” towards her (he certainly didn’t want her to be raped or abused like she was) but he had “another family” taking up his attention- which of course he knows wasn’t Kelly’s fault hence the guilt and enabling now. 

Poor Kelly. May she RIP. 

[aliya]

14 minutes ago, Scarlett45 said:

Yes. It seemed that Kelly was the product of an affair and her mother really had no interest in being a parent to her. Her grandmother and grandfather did love her but after her grandfather’s passing (and perhaps her grandmother had health problems which lead to her going to senior living) Kelly was “stuck” living with her Mom. Given what I know growing up in the black community Kelly’s mom was encouraged to have Kelly and not place her for adoption (rather than terminate the pregnancy or place the baby) even though she didn’t want to be a parent. The grandparents probably told her “just have the baby and we will raise it”.

Kelly’s Dad had no “ill will” towards her (he certainly didn’t want her to be raped or abused like she was) but he had “another family” taking up his attention- which of course he knows wasn’t Kelly’s fault hence the guilt and enabling now. 

Poor Kelly. May she RIP. 

I used to handle 'no fault' divorces, which were an easy way of making some money as a new lawyer (I'd never do it again, however). I can't tell you how many guys get a 2nd family, just walk away from fam #1, and have no idea why the state would be after them for child support. They don't  see the kids, they don't want to pay money, they just want to forget fam #1 ever happened.

[Scarlett45]

4 minutes ago, aliya said:

I used to handle 'no fault' divorces, which were an easy way of making some money as a new lawyer (I'd never do it again, however). I can't tell you how many guys get a 2nd family, just walk away from fam #1, and have no idea why the state would be after them for child support. They don't  see the kids, they don't want to pay money, they just want to forget fam #1 ever happened.

Oh yes that happens a lot, but from the timeline Kelly was describing her Mom was the “side relationship”- her Dad already had a life and a family when Kelly was born. Kelly was raised by her grandparents, her mom was not interested in parenting. At least she never had any more kids. Kelly was able to make peace with her Dad and have some sort of relationship with her paternal siblings later. If only her grandparents had been able to care for her another decade her life may have turned out differently. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

I thought that Kelly meant she was born from the mother's affair, and the father was married with kids.     

I hated Kelly's mother, and when Kelly said she was molested, and raped by that man, and her mother told her to be quiet, then I wished the mother would have been sitting next to the rapist when the bus ran over him.        

At least after getting to Houston, Kelly had Dr. Now, her relatives, and hope for the future.     When I saw her charging down the aisle toward the end of the show, I really hoped for a different outcome.    

Edited March 28, 2019 by CrazyInAlabama

[Scarlett45]

8 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I thought that Kelly meant she was born from the mother's affair, and the father was married with kids.     

Yes you’re right that’s what happened.  Her mom did NOT want to parent, but was likely pressured to have Kelly by her parents (Kelly’s grandparents). Kelly said her early years were good with her grandparents but things went down hill after her grandfather passed. 

[DropTheSoap]

I was nervous about how she'd do from the start of the episode, with all of the heart concerns. But the fact that she narrated the episode made me think it would have a good outcome. 

I do agree that Dr. Now seemed to really like her as a patient. Yes, she had her backsliding, but overall she was a smart woman and did try.

It was sad to see that she passed after getting things moving in a positive direction in her life.

[Morgalisa]

3 hours ago, libgirl2 said:

I went through it a few years ago when my doctor (a specialist) wanted me to have an MRI from some awful pain I was having in my leg and hip. It would get so bad I couldn't walk. Insurance would not pay for it. He called them and explained my situation and how he wanted to be sure  what was wrong. Nope. They wanted me to go to physical therapy. That would have meant weeks of taking time from work to go when I wasn't even sure it would help. 

My son's coworker had a similar issue with his ibsurance. He went to physical therapy. I dont know what the problem was, but physical therapy exacerbated it and he ended up walking with a cane.

[CatherineM]

I wonder if after what happened to Robert, they decided to start recording the voice overs as they go instead of waiting until the year is over. 

[thebigboot]

It’s a shame she worked so hard and was being successful just to pass away. At the same time I’m astounded with the slew of medical issues she lasted as long as she did. When she was eating the pizza I just chocked it up to normal 600 lbs stuff, but when Dr Now mentioned diabetes it blew my mind. I’m a type II diabetic and even eating two slices of pizza is a rare treat because Of what the carbs do with blood sugar. This should be a wake up call to people on that road, you can literally get to the point of no return.

[BuyMoreAndSave]

10 hours ago, calpurnia99 said:

The cousin's house was the nicest and largest we have ever seen on this show. It was spotless with beautiful furniture and it looked to have 4 or 5 bedrooms. I would guess they had money and education.  I wonder if she was sloppy and they didn't like that? 

9 hours ago, AZChristian said:

Here's my opinion about the Gary situation.  Gary has obviously worked hard and lives in a nice home in a nice neighborhood.  He and his daughter were both very nicely put together, and were very pleasant to Kelly whenever they were on camera.

Without sounding like I'm putting her down, Kelly never learned to express gratitude appropriately.  The only times I heard her say "Thank you" in the program were when (1) her father brought her a pizza, and (2) she was getting information on how to register for the classes she needed.  Her lack of verbalizing appreciation really jumped out at me, and I'm not sure if she EVER said "thank you" to Dr. Now . . . the man who was investing many, many hours of his time and money (I think he does the surgeries for free) to literally try to save her life.  When he said, "I am approving you for weight loss surgery," she responded, "okay."  Not "thank you," just "okay."  

Having dealt with a family member who also refused to do things that would help himself, who instead continued in his poor life/food choices, I walked away from him.  It was hard, but I finally realized that I could not help him if he refused to help himself.  Hubby and I were wearing ourselves out (we're both in our 70s) . . . with no change in the family member's health or life.

I got a strong vibe from last night's situation that Gary and/or his wife (who we never saw on camera) may have gotten worn out as well.  She came home from the first hospitalization to a beautiful, clean home.  Maybe she had expectations that Gary's family would cater to her as much as everyone else had in her life.  She wanted pizza and fast food.  Maybe they knew that she was supposed to be losing more weight to qualify for the surgery, and assumed that she would be cooperative.  Maybe she wasn't.  Maybe she never said, "thank you."  Maybe Gary's family just got worn out.

I also sense that Dr. Now sat down and talked with Gary and explained how serious Kelly's condition was.  Maybe they talked about her initial unwillingness to limit her food in the rehab center until Dr. Now went off on her.  Maybe Dr. Now believed she was committed to change after the surgery, and convinced Gary as well.

It is sad that she really seemed ready for her new life, but had already damaged her heart to the point where even weight loss couldn't help her.  I hope her passing was peaceful in her sleep, and that she can now rest in peace.

ETA:  As soon as Gary showed Kelly to her room, I said to my hubby, "Not good.  Her room is WAY too close to the kitchen, and everyone else is probably sleeping upstairs."

I have a theory on what happened based on my experience.

Medical facilities and insurance companies love to not have to pay for things. My MIL was hospitalized for almost a year and could barely walk or talk when she was released, let alone shower or prepare food or anything. She had less mobility than Kelly and still didn't qualify for assisted living. She only got two short aide visits per week.

The hospital assumed she would be living with us and didn't even ask or mention other options. We didn't even have a place for her since we were living in a one-bedroom and had to find a new place and move on very short notice (6 weeks). I never wanted to live with her as she fucked up my life a lot even before this happened (and even though I thought I made it clear that she was only supposed to live here until this was no longer an emergency situation, now two years later she's recovered but still living here and won't leave). But the hospital didn't give a fuck and never even had a discussion about it and just dumped this emergency situation on us and expected us to figure it out.

So my theory is that they asked Kelly if she had any relatives in the area hoping to get out of paying for care or housing. Then when she mentioned Gary, the hospital called him up and basically voluntold him that she would be living there. Maybe they guilted him into it. Maybe he thought it was just on an emergency basis until she could figure something else out but she and the hospital had other ideas or other definitions of the word "emergency." Maybe he realized just what he got himself into and that he made a mistake, because even if you get along with the person, living with a disabled and only partially mobile mentally ill relative with a dozen different serious health conditions who could drop dead at any time is still a major undertaking.

Point is I'm not going to judge anyone for not helping out their relatives or having a limit to the help they will provide, especially when that person may have never been there for them.

Edited March 29, 2019 by BuyMoreAndSave

[auntjess]

On 3/27/2019 at 10:14 PM, Cherrio said:

I hope she experienced a little happiness and hope before she died. She deserved so much more.

I think she did, because she'd called about college classes, and was doing well with the diet.
I was glad to think that she did finally have a relatively happy time, and death came quickly.
It was too bad that her cousin kept her out for a while, probably family disagreement, don't you think, because we never saw his wife.
And it would be hard to have someone with a lot of needs, that you don't know.

[auntjess]

19 hours ago, Bronx Babe said:

I'm confused -- isn't congestive heart failure basically a death sentence?  How did Kelly pass all those medical tests to qualify for weight loss surgery?   

I wondered that too.  We had a dog who had it, and the vet said just keep her happy and comfortable, but won't be long, and it wasn't.
As to passing tests, maybe it was as risky as it was, she had a better chance for long-term survival with the surgery.

[auntjess]

13 hours ago, winsomeone said:

They said that the EMTs wouldn't transport her to the hospital when she was stuck in the taxi because she weighed 700 pounds. And yet we have seen others that large get transported to the hospital and back just to get weighed? A good thing the firemen were willing to help her get out of that taxi or she might still be stuck in it. So sad.

I think Dr.Now usually arranges for supersized ambulances.
Wouldn't there be a point where you'd get the jaws of life, and cut something in the taxi?  Or take the back of front seat off?

[auntjess]

10 hours ago, Morgalisa said:

How did she die alone when she was at Cousin Gary's house? I'm side eyeing Gary as it is.

I took this to mean she died during the night, in her sleep.

[ZeldaZee]

I only just started watching Kelly's episode (I have a delay)...

Is there just so much of a thing of parents not believing their children who come to them saying they've been raped or abused? This seems so common in not only these specific episodes but in general. I suppose it's one thing if your child has been hurt but never told you and you only found out later– but your child telling you these things have happened and are happening and yet you don't do jack shit about it? You don't believe them? You don't even acknowledge that they've told you? "Just forget about it", in Kelly's words?

My mother did not allow me to be around her father unless someone else was present, and it wasn't until a couple of years ago on her deathbed that she told my father (who'd been married to her for 50 years and had no clue) that my grandfather had tried to molest her when she was 12 and she only "escaped" because she peed the bed before he could get too far. None of us– my father, siblings and myself– knew about this but there had always this unspoken, "don't leave the kids alone with him" rule when I was growing up. But there was that rule– don't leave the kids alone with him. I knew him, visited the house etc but looking back, it was always under strict supervision.

It just seems insane to me that anyone could disbelieve their children or dismiss them with these matters. It takes enough guts for a child to speak up in any circumstance, much less something as significant as abuse. To brush that courage under the rug, especially by the person they've screwed up enough courage to tell...no wonder they feel diminished in other parts of life.

I can't speak for everyone or anyone. But, I do know that if I learned someone was raping my child, the reality show you'd be watching would be The First 48.

~ZZ

Edited March 29, 2019 by ZeldaZee

[newyawk]

OMG, I'm watching this now. Dr. Now seemed a lot kinder in this episode, I'm not sure what shifted. But that taxi was ridiculous..why wouldn't you call an ambulance for someone 700 lbs like that who was already in distress?

[aliya]

23 hours ago, NeitherSparky said:

I am so jealous!   Aliya jr & I used to watch MST3K all the time. I should get one of these for his birthday, which is coming soon. I'll get it for him, but I'll keep it safe at my house. 😁

Edited March 29, 2019 by aliya

[newyawk]

Just finished. How sad. She was on the right track. That's like, three M600LL deaths in the last two or three months, isn't it?

[NeitherSparky]

2 hours ago, aliya said:

I am so jealous!   Aliya jr & I used to watch MST3K all the time. I should get one of these for his birthday, which is coming soon. I'll get it for him, but I'll keep it safe at my house. 😁

Lol they’re not cheap, I built mine from a $250 kit (that I still had to spend over $100 on, on paint and tools I didn’t have to complete), or you can just spend $450 for a finished one. Either way the guy is usually out of Crows. Toms and Tom kits are way cheaper and always in stock. I’ll do one of those eventually too. (mst3kbots.com)

[KateHearts]

6 hours ago, auntjess said:

I wondered that too.  We had a dog who had it, and the vet said just keep her happy and comfortable, but won't be long, and it wasn't.
As to passing tests, maybe it was as risky as it was, she had a better chance for long-term survival with the surgery.

As I posted earlier, heart failure is sometimes reversible, but if it isn't it can be managed with medications, diet and fluid monitoring.  There are various causes and many different ways to treat/manage it.

[libgirl2]

14 hours ago, Morgalisa said:

My son's coworker had a similar issue with his ibsurance. He went to physical therapy. I dont know what the problem was, but physical therapy exacerbated it and he ended up walking with a cane.

That is horrible! I am so glad that I didn't go to PT as it went away. 

[CatherineM]

8 hours ago, ZeldaZee said:

I only just started watching Kelly's episode (I have a delay)...

Is there just so much of a thing of parents not believing their children who come to them saying they've been raped or abused? This seems so common in not only these specific episodes but in general. I suppose it's one thing if your child has been hurt but never told you and you only found out later– but your child telling you these things have happened and are happening and yet you don't do jack shit about it? You don't believe them? You don't even acknowledge that they've told you? "Just forget about it", in Kelly's words?

My mother did not allow me to be around her father unless someone else was present, and it wasn't until a couple of years ago on her deathbed that she told my father (who'd been married to her for 50 years and had no clue) that my grandfather had tried to molest her when she was 12 and she only "escaped" because she peed the bed before he could get too far. None of us– my father, siblings and myself– knew about this but there had always this unspoken, "don't leave the kids alone with him" rule when I was growing up. But there was that rule– don't leave the kids alone with him. I knew him, visited the house etc but looking back, it was always under strict supervision.

It just seems insane to me that anyone could disbelieve their children or dismiss them with these matters. It takes enough guts for a child to speak up in any circumstance, much less something as significant as abuse. To brush that courage under the rug, especially by the person they've screwed up enough courage to tell...no wonder they feel diminished in other parts of life.

I can't speak for everyone or anyone. But, I do know that if I learned someone was raping my child, the reality show you'd be watching would be The First 48.

~ZZ

Our adopted son was molested by an older brother when he was 8ish. He told his mom immediately, but she didn’t believe him. He has always said that was worse than the assault. As to why, she didn’t want anything complicated to deal with. It might have required taking kids to therapy, family services or police involvement. Addicts always live in fear of outside people coming in and taking their kids. In her case, losing kids meant losing income. The best thing she ever did for him was to die so that he came to us. I’d never tell my son that, or anything negative about his mom in his presence, but he has voiced it to me in quieter moments. 

[Jeeves]

8 hours ago, ZeldaZee said:

Is there just so much of a thing of parents not believing their children who come to them saying they've been raped or abused? This seems so common in not only these specific episodes but in general.

Taking my answer to Small Talk.

[Morgalisa]

9 hours ago, auntjess said:

I took this to mean she died during the night, in her sleep.

Could be. But usually they say the person died in their sleep and whoever discovered them the next morning. Sketchy wording 

Edited March 29, 2019 by Morgalisa
Add word

[3girlsforus]

9 hours ago, auntjess said:

I took this to mean she died during the night, in her sleep.

Let’s also remember the medical examiner’s comment that no one was there when she died was in response to Dr. Now asking specifics about what symptoms or reactions she might have had in the minutes before she died. No one being there meant no one saw her die. That could have even been as simple as she was in her room and Gary and family were in  another part of the house. There are currently 3 people in my house. If I died right now, no one would see my die because they aren’t in the room with me. 

Edited to add - for the sake of Gary’s family, I’m glad she didn’t die in their presence. Having her die in their house is probably hard enough. My neighbor’s husband dropped dead of a heart attack right in front of his wife and adult daughter. It’s been 3 years and they still have nightmares. Losing him was bad enough but having nightmares watching him drop over dead just compounded the loss. 

Edited March 29, 2019 by 3girlsforus

[winsomeone]

I still have dreams about this poor soul. She might as well have died alone, because even if someone were with her and called for help, it would have been refused because she is too heavy I suppose?

[3girlsforus]

1 hour ago, winsomeone said:

I still have dreams about this poor soul. She might as well have died alone, because even if someone were with her and called for help, it would have been refused because she is too heavy I suppose?

No by the time she died she was in the lower 300s if not less. Dr Now said she had not relapsed. So she would have been small enough for a standard ambulance. 

[Bronx Babe]

21 hours ago, chickenella said:

Bronxbabe,  its very treatable and people can live many years with the condition.  Myself, its been 5+ years diagnosed,  but I think I had it for a few years prior.  There is  a group on Facebook for chf patients and their families & caregivers  that you will find helpfull. Let me know if you want the link. Not sure if I can post it here. 

I thought of Kelly many times today, still sad. I couldn't even watch the WATN show afterward.

@chickenella, I am not in need of that link but thank you nonetheless.  

Wishing you continued good health and a long, long life.  

[4N6MAL]

23 hours ago, Concerned said:

We also don’t know the relationship between Gary and Kelly. In many communities, cousin is the child of a parents sibling. But in other communities, often African American, a cousin can be anyone in the extended family who is an age peer.

He had the same last name, Mason.

[PradaKitty]

Kelly was on her way to a new life and seemed so much happier. I think her death needed to be noted in order to shake people up and to let them know this is what happens when you don’t take care of your body.  I’m sorry it came too late for Kelly as she was likeable and seemed to have plans for her future. 

Has anyone thought that maybe Gary asked her to leave his home because Mrs. Gary and Kelly did not get along?  Earlier in the show she mentioned how great and supportive her cousin Gary and his daughter were but seemed  to mention his wife as “Gary’s wife”. Doesn't sound like a close relationship.

it was also nice to see a clean, upper middle class home. 

I am amazed at the giant “bites” the patients on this show take while eating. I wonder if they even taste the food they’re shoveling into their mouths. 

[libgirl2]

8 minutes ago, PradaKitty said:

Kelly was on her way to a new life and seemed so much happier. I think her death needed to be noted in order to shake people up and to let them know this is what happens when you don’t take care of your body.  I’m sorry it came too late for Kelly as she was likeable and seemed to have plans for her future. 

Has anyone thought that maybe Gary asked her to leave his home because Mrs. Gary and Kelly did not get along?  Earlier in the show she mentioned how great and supportive her cousin Gary and his daughter were but seemed  to mention his wife as “Gary’s wife”. Doesn't sound like a close relationship.

it was also nice to see a clean, upper middle class home. 

I am amazed at the giant “bites” the patients on this show take while eating. I wonder if they even taste the food they’re shoveling into their mouths. 

I wonder if they really chew and savor it? 

[thebigboot]

17 minutes ago, libgirl2 said:

I wonder if they really chew and savor it? 

I’ve wondered the same thing, it’s truly astounding to watch the 600 pounders as they eat. Especially the way some of them down their pizza.

[cpcathy]

1 hour ago, thebigboot said:

I’ve wondered the same thing, it’s truly astounding to watch the 600 pounders as they eat. Especially the way some of them down their pizza.

They kind of just breathe it in, their eyes are down like they are staring at it, afraid that it will go away. And believe me, I've devoured a yummy meal like there was no tomorrow, but not every meal.

[libgirl2]

23 minutes ago, cpcathy said:

They kind of just breathe it in, their eyes are down like they are staring at it, afraid that it will go away. And believe me, I've devoured a yummy meal like there was no tomorrow, but not every meal.

A yummy meal yes, but a lot of times what they are eating isn't very appetizing. 

[parrotfeathers]

Saw this a few minutes ago in my news feed.

https://www.distractify.com/p/kelly-my-600-lb-life-death

[Lunula]

Wow. What a sad end. 

I must say, my heart was breaking for her when she got stuck in the cab. That was hard to watch. It really makes me admire Dr Now seeing his genuine concern for this human life. Yes, her actions put her in this situation, but in the end - he wasn't pointing fingers, he wasn't making fun of her, he wasn't judging her - he was just trying to help her - something she obviously was not accustomed to in life. 

What I find most sad about this episode is not how it ended, or what she made of her life, or even the rotten start she had and misery she endured - but rather that she felt so beaten down and hopeless she didn't even think there was another way to react and be.  

[ProTourist]

Maya and Christian were at the clinic the night Kelly got stuck in the taxi out front:

Edited March 30, 2019 by ProTourist

[ProTourist]

I imagine they ended up rescheduled due to Kelly's emergency hospital admittance that night.

Edited March 30, 2019 by ProTourist

[IKnit4Cats]

On 3/28/2019 at 2:51 PM, oldchristine123 said:

If we could protect our young people better, it would solve so many societal and individual problems.

Amen!

[IKnit4Cats]

13 hours ago, CatherineM said:

The best thing she ever did for him was to die so that he came to us. I’d never tell my son that, or anything negative about his mom in his presence, but he has voiced it to me in quieter moments. 

I'm glad he has you now.

[Elizzikra]

8 hours ago, libgirl2 said:

I wonder if they really chew and savor it? 

I imagine it’s much like an alcoholic who might at one point have enjoyed a really delicious glass of wine and now just gulps whatever is at hand...

[MutualCore]

You could see this result happening a mile away. Kelly by this point had no desire to change things given the heart condition. It was too late.

Amazing this thing though. James K has been in heart failure for 3+ years and he's still kickin. Go figure.

Edited March 30, 2019 by MutualCore

[TurtlePower]

This one hit right in the feels.

I liked Kelly from the start. She didn't lie to Dr. Now like many of the other patients. She admitted ordering food right away during rehab but then, she got her shit together and followed the program. I know a lifetime of obesity created her heart failure, but she did not deserve to leave this world halfway through her journey. Very sad. 

[winsomeone]

The one story said Kelly had lost 324 pounds I think. So she was still 400 when she died, and maybe the EMTs still would consider her too large to treat? Seems like those extra large ambulances need to be on call for cases like hers if they qualify for any type of funding from any government source? I thought for sure she would die in that taxi..would suffocate from her own weight. Poor poor soul.

[Jeeves]

11 minutes ago, winsomeone said:

The one story said Kelly had lost 324 pounds I think. So she was still 400 when she died, and maybe the EMTs still would consider her too large to treat? Seems like those extra large ambulances need to be on call for cases like hers if they qualify for any type of funding from any government source? I thought for sure she would die in that taxi..would suffocate from her own weight. Poor poor soul.

I don't think the issue when she had fallen in the taxi - when she was 700+ pounds - was that she was "too large to treat." IIRC the paramedics did assist at the scene. The problem was that the ambulance couldn't transport someone weighing that much (I think the limit was 600 pounds for a regular ambulance, which is what responded to the 911 call). I think Dr. Now decided they didn't have time to wait for special transport, because they needed to get her to the hospital ASAP - which meant by taxi. 

If Kelly was down to around 400 pounds, she could have been transported in a regular ambulance, as I understand the information that's been provided in this discussion. Sadly, it seems that she was deceased at the scene (I assume it was at her cousin's house). 

[QuinnInND]

On 3/28/2019 at 10:45 PM, ZeldaZee said:

I only just started watching Kelly's episode (I have a delay)...

Is there just so much of a thing of parents not believing their children who come to them saying they've been raped or abused? This seems so common in not only these specific episodes but in general. I suppose it's one thing if your child has been hurt but never told you and you only found out later– but your child telling you these things have happened and are happening and yet you don't do jack shit about it? You don't believe them? You don't even acknowledge that they've told you? "Just forget about it", in Kelly's words?

My mother did not allow me to be around her father unless someone else was present, and it wasn't until a couple of years ago on her deathbed that she told my father (who'd been married to her for 50 years and had no clue) that my grandfather had tried to molest her when she was 12 and she only "escaped" because she peed the bed before he could get too far. None of us– my father, siblings and myself– knew about this but there had always this unspoken, "don't leave the kids alone with him" rule when I was growing up. But there was that rule– don't leave the kids alone with him. I knew him, visited the house etc but looking back, it was always under strict supervision.

It just seems insane to me that anyone could disbelieve their children or dismiss them with these matters. It takes enough guts for a child to speak up in any circumstance, much less something as significant as abuse. To brush that courage under the rug, especially by the person they've screwed up enough courage to tell...no wonder they feel diminished in other parts of life.

I can't speak for everyone or anyone. But, I do know that if I learned someone was raping my child, the reality show you'd be watching would be The First 48.

~ZZ

My mother knew my stepfather was raping and beating me. Did nothing. Said nothing. I was to say and do nothing too. Act like it wasn't happening. So I feel for Kelly on a different level. I was so happy that she got to see her rapist get hit by a bus. That had to be a relief. 

[the-grey-lady]

I can't believe Kelly died, while James K still walks among us.

Okay, he doesn't actually walk, but you get the idea.

[CrazyInAlabama]

As I said before on her, too bad her mother wasn't right next to the rapist when that bus hit him.   I think the truth is that Kelly's mother didn't care about her at all, found her to be a burden, and was angry that she had to look after her when the grandfather died, and the grandmother couldn't cope.      

I think at least 90% of the poundticipants have admitted that some kind of molestation happened.    Actually, I wonder if the number of victims isn't higher, but some still can't admit it.   It's so awful that Kelly had to go through that, and then be blamed and humiliated by her so-called mother.      My guess is that Kelly's so-called mother thought that by having his baby, that the boy friend would leave his wife and family, and when that didn't happen she blamed Kelly.     

Edited March 31, 2019 by CrazyInAlabama