N.B. Any opinions expressed or comments made within this column are those of Matt Howarth's, and are not those of Atherton Online.
In this day and age, when it seems that our beloved newspapers are filled only with despair and devastation, happy, positive and inspirational stories are at most times, hard to come by. At a time when the television is filled with non entities and bad role models such as Frankie Cocozza and anybody from The Only Way Is Essex it makes you despair to think exactly just whom people are looking up to as role models.
Emma Parker is one girl that deserves to be looked upon as an inspiration, her story is so heart-warming it is something which makes you forget all the troubles in which yourself are experiencing. Emma from Jacksdale, Nottinghamshire, who was weighing in at an obese 18 stone... set herself a goal, a goal to shed half of her body weight after battling a rugby ball sized cancer tumour.
During her treatment she believed that she has been "given a second chance" and as a result, ditched takeaways, chips and chocolate. Owing to her strong willpower within just 7 months she lost 8 stone and dropped 7 dress sizes.
It was August 2010 when she was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma after finding a lump in her neck. A time when her life changed and action needed to be taken.
In the midst of it all, another scan showed and found an inoperable growth the size of a rugby ball in her chest, forcing her to undergo six months of gruelling chemotherapy.
February 2011 marks a year since she was luckily given the all clear.
After a few weeks into her chemotherapy, this inspirational human being then joined a local slimming group and lost 8st 3.5lb to go from a dress size 22 to size 10 and to weigh 9st 11lb.
All that remains of the tumour is a few cells of which aren't cancerous.
When her treatment was under way, she said when reflecting to the Daily Express:
"I thought, 'I'm all right now, some people aren't that lucky.' I felt like I'd been given a second chance."
Owing to her dramatic weight loss, she has now been Crowned Slimming World's Miss Slinky of 2012. When she was crowned the award, she said:
"I feel fantastic. I'd say to anyone wanting to lose weight, 'if I can do it, anyone can. Go for it. Life's too short'."
What an inspiration to us all. Most of us won't ever thankfully know what it feels like to be diagnosed by the life changing Cancer, yet I'm sure we all know somebody who has fought against the dreadful disease. For Miss Parker to be suffering from such a condition and then wanting to change her life even further by losing weight is something which is purely admirable. It really does go to show that anybody wants to do it and if you have the willpower and simply WANT to do something, then you will do it. There is no point in whining and winging should you not want too. Just do it!
To see something so positive and uplifting in the media is no common occurrence. It's people like Emma we all need to think of in times of devastation, anger and selfishness.
Written & Edited by Matt Howarth, 20th January 2012.
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