I lost 11st but was left with a huge tyre around my waist – now I’m asking strangers to give me £5k to get rid of it

LOOKING at her reflection in the mirror, Jade Morrissey loves what she sees - all except the roll of loose skin which sits around her middle.

And she's hoping strangers will donate their cash to help her get rid of it.

Jade weighed over 21st and has done incredibly well to lose weight - but has been left with rolls of excess skinCredit: SWNS

After losing an incredible 11st, she’s half the size she used to be and while she’s much healthier than she was at 21st 4lb, no amount of weight loss will be enough to shift the excess.

Jade says the skin removal surgery done privately in the UK would set her back £5,500, which she says she can’t afford - and she isn’t eligible for it on the NHS.

Jade says she can't afford the surgery to remove the skin, and isn't able to get it on the NHSCredit: SWNS

The final hurdle

The 27 year old, a carer who lives in Swansea, says: "When I look in the mirror all I see skin, which is like a dumbbell strapped to my stomach.

"I have to wear three sports bras to go to the gym, and tuck in the excess skin into my leggings to feel comfortable.

'I dread to think how many calories I ate'

Jade first piled on the pounds in 2022 after binge eating chocolate and crisps for comfort after a miscarriage at seven weeks - at her biggest, she was squeezing into a size 26.

“It was such a difficult time, I was really depressed,” she explains.

“Most nights would be a Chinese takeaway finished with a tub of ice cream – I dread to think how many calories I ate.

“I really hated looking into the mirror.”

Jade completely overhauled her lifestyle to lose weight after suffering health issuesCredit: SWNS

Traumatising turning point

Jade’s health soon began to suffer and she had multiple health issues including acid reflux, problems walking and breathlessness.

She finally had a ''wake-up call'' during an endoscopy in 2022 – which involved sending a camera - which doctors hoped would pinpoint the cause of the reflux - down her throat into her stomach.

Due to her size, Jade was told it would be too dangerous to put her under general anaesthetic, so Jade was left “traumatised” after having the procedure awake.

She says: "The turning point really came during the endoscopy - I couldn’t believe I was too big for them to use anaesthetic.

"I realised how badly my weight was affecting my life.

“It was such a horrific experience having the camera down my throat while I was wide awake.

“It was a big scare.”

Now, Jade is healthier than ever - but still suffers problems due to the excess skin that requires surgeryCredit: SWNS

Spurred into action

It spurred her into action and in January 2023, she signed up to the gym and completely overhauled her diet, making healthy homemade meals from scratch.

She lost a whopping 11 stone in just a year – and is now down to 10st 4lb, a svelte size 8.

The excess skin is causing ''sweating and irritation'' and says she's so desperate to lose it, crowdfunding is the only way it’ll happen.

Jade, who is married to Adam, 28, a children’s entertainer, says: ''I'm really hoping I can get this money together with the help of people's donations and get this skin removed.

''It's so uncomfortable but the surgery is very expensive, and I'm trying to save as much as I can towards it too, but anything people can donate would be amazing.

"I don't expect anyone to donate, but if anyone can help out if would be hugely appreciated it.

"Thankfully my husband Adam doesn't care about the excess skin and he loves me anyway - he just wants me to be comfortable.

"I do sometimes worry about him seeing or feeling the skin, but he doesn't care, and that's the main thing."

Weight loss Wonder Woman

Jade and Adam are fans of cosplay and regularly go out in public wearing superhero costumes - which Jade says was the motivation to lose the last bit of weight.

Now, the care assistant regularly goes out dressed up as Wonder Woman - while Adam is Captain Marvel.

But she says having the excess skin removed will really unleash her confidence.

She explains: "I never had the confidence to dress-up or go out in public when I was bigger.'

"At first it was nerve-wracking going in case people looked, but I don't care anymore.

''My husband and I love it, and we go to cosplay events dressed up - although I still have to hide the excess skin and wear a stomach binder under my costumes.