Couple who weighed half a TONNE get his ‘n’ hers gastric bypasses – as they were too fat for kids
Justine and Chris Delamere, both 43, underwent surgery after years of feasting on greasy pizza and curries
A COUPLE who almost weighed a TONNE between them, have revealed that being told they were too fat to have kids prompted them to shed nearly 40 stone.
Justine and Chris Delamere, both 43, got his and hers gastric bypasses after years of feasting on greasy pizza and curries.
The pair ended up weighing a colossal weight of 63 stone combined.
After struggling to get pregnant naturally because of their size, the pair went to drastic lengths to realise their dream of having a family.
The couple, from Wirral, Merseyside, decided to both have gastric bypasses on the same day, and have since shed an impressive 38-and-a-half stone and become parents to Oscar, two, and Jasmine, 10 months.
Justine, who weighed 26 stone at her heaviest and wore a size 30, said: "I was devastated when we were told we were too big to get pregnant.
"I didn't think it would happen and we pushed the idea to the back of our minds.
"Now, I'm really proud of what we've achieved. I wake up every day and feel blessed."
Chris and Justine began trying for a family about six months after they first met back in 2005.
However, after a year passed with no results, they went to a fertility clinic for advice.
Tests revealed that Justine's size meant her hormone levels were too low and doctors told her she was unlikely to conceive naturally without losing weight.
Shortly afterwards, she joined a slimming club and managed to shed an impressive four stone in just 18 months.
But, she and Chris, who weighed 37 stone at his heaviest, still couldn't get pregnant.
Unfortunately, a combination of turning to food for comfort and feeling relaxed in her relationship saw her regain all the weight she'd lost in just seven months.
She said: "By then, we'd been told we wouldn't get pregnant, so we put it to the back of our minds and kept going with everyday life.”
The couple spoke briefly about other options, including adoption, but both agreed that they would first try anything in a bid to have a child that was biologically theirs.
However, as time went on, both Justine and Chris continued to gain weight.
For a while, they tried to shift the pounds naturally by going to the gym but felt uncomfortable exercising at the size they were.
In 2011 the couple relocated and their new GP referred them both for gastric bypasses after they mentioned they were struggling to conceive.
Justine, who now weighs 12-and-a-half stone and wears a size 14, said: "I knew there was weight loss surgery available but I didn't know it was something you get on the NHS.
"I feel fortuitous that the doctor referred us."
But, in the run up to his surgery, Chris' health began to decline.
By then he was wearing a size 5XL and he started to develop sores on his legs, he also had arthritis, and was at grave risk of developing diabetes.
On 5 March 2012 at Salford Royal Hospital, Greater Manchester the couple went in for surgery.
Justine recalled: “We were nervous but just thought, 'we have to get through this’”.
A few days after their surgery they were back home and for the next six weeks they lived on blended food.
Bit by bit, they began to eat more solids, as they gradually introduced fruit and vegetables to their diets.
Within a year, Justine had lost a whopping 10 stone and the couple decided to try again for a baby.
It was only two months later that Justine missed a period and decide to take a pregnancy test.
She said: "I was so nervous. I didn't look at it, I got Chris to.
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"He didn't say anything but I could see by his face it was good news."
At first, doctors were worried about the baby's development - as Justine's gastric bypass meant she couldn't eat large portions of food.
But, thanks to following a strict diet and eating a little an often to ensure her unborn child received enough nutrients and she enjoyed a healthy pregnancy.
On 31 March 2014, the couple’s son Oscar was born via a Caesarean section at Bolton Hospital.
Justine said: "I felt like the luckiest person in the world, Chris and I hadn't thought children would happen for us."
Meanwhile, Chris' weight had plummeted and he shed an astounding 25 stone in just one year after the op.
But, standing at 6ft 4in, doctors said Chris’ dramatic loss was not good for his health, and advised he gain a little weight.
Justine said: "He looked ill, now he's gained a few stone; he's a healthier 15-and-a-half stone."
Justine and Chris revelled in being parents to little Oscar and, when he turned one, they decided to try for a brother or sister for him
Nine months on, they were expecting one again and on 29 October 2015, their daughter Jasmine was born at Chester Hospital.
Justine added: “I really wanted another baby but I didn't think it would happen,
"I thought Oscar and my daughter, Sophie, who's 21 and from my previous relationship, was all I'd got.
"Now I feel really blessed with the family we have.
"I'd love more and if it happened, I'd be over the moon.
"I'm so proud of Chris and I and what we've gone through together."