A DETERMINED granddaughter who has battled weight issues her entire life is hoping to lose nearly nine stone so she can do a skydive in memory of her beloved grandmother.
Kayleigh Cross, from Holland-on-Sea, was diagnosed with having polycystic ovaries at the age of 15, before being told she had an underactive thyroid ten years later.
As a result, the 31-year-old has always struggled to shift the pounds, and when she has, be it through dieting or slimming clubs, the weight has quickly piled back on.
Back in March, however, 21-stone Kayleigh decided to have gastric bypass surgery, and since then she has already shed a staggering 98 pounds.
As well as embarking on the weight loss for her own health benefits, Kayleigh is also doing it so she can do a skydive to honour her grandmother, Hilda Cross, who died in 2017.
The 93-year-old suffered with Alzheimers, so Kayleigh wants to use the daring jump to raise money for the Alzheimers Society.
But she first needs to hit the 13 stone mark in order to be legally allowed to do the skydive, which is now booked to take place next month.
The surgery has completely changed my life and I have a whole new mindset now, said Kayleigh.
I feel amazing for losing the weight and the amount my confidence has grown in this short time is really great too.
But I still have about one stone and nine pounds to lose to be able to jump, so I am doing a lot of exercise and bike rides to lose the extra weight.
I feel like this will be as close I will get to waving up to my nan, which I am thrilled about, and I am nervous and excited, but it will be amazing if I can do it in September.
Kayleighs initial aim was to raise just 250 for the Alzheimers Society, but her target has already been smashed by more than 100, and it continues to increase each day.
She now hopes her nerve-wracking venture through the sky will generate further awareness of what patients and their loved ones go through when fighting the devastating disease.
This charity is so important to me because I have worked as a carer with people who have Alzheimers, she added.
And obviously watching my nan live with it was not nice and there is a feeling that you grieve for them twice.
You grieve for the memory of how they used to be before the diagnosis, until the end, when you actually grieve when you lose them.
There is this torment of watching someone you love so dearly fade away before you.
To sponsor Kayleighs skydive, visit tinyurl.com/y4ozdy4g.
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Super slimmer lost 9 stone so she could skydive in memory of nan - Clacton and Frinton Gazette
