Kevin and Jennifer Mahoney: Kevin had RNY Gastric Bypass on 5/6/2012 with Dr. Kim at Kaiser Sunnyside Hospital in Portland Oregon. Kevin has struggled with his obesity his entire life. He reached 200+ pounds in grade school. He reached his heaviest weight in 2011 at 365 pounds and knew he needed to make a change or he was going to die. Jennifer had RNY Gastric Bypass on 3/19/2012 with Dr. Kim at Kaiser Sunnyside Hospital in Portland Oregon. Like Kevin, Jennifer also struggled with obesity her entire life. She was always the chubby girl but it wasn't until she suffered her first knee injury the weight started coming on rapidly. Her heaviest weight in 2011 was 300 pounds. Kevin and Jennifer met and started dating in high school, Jennifer 15, and Kevin 18 years old. They were married in 2002 and started trying to have a baby. After the second failed IVF treatment they decided that they both needed to do something about their weight before they could proceed with any more fertility treatment. This led them to Weight Loss Surgery. It is Kevin and Jennifer's mission to give back to the WLS community as much as possible and to be there as a resource and support for others going through or have gone through the process.
Jim and Christian Haney: Jim had VSG on 9-1-2009 in San Francisco, California at 600+ lbs after a life long struggle with his weight. Christian had her VSG on 9-7-2011 in John’s Creek, Georgia at 254 lbs after progressively gaining more and more weight during college and several failed attempts to lose it. The two met through the Obesity Help website after they were both post op and at goal. Jim came to one of the local Atlanta meet and greets with a friend of his in June of 2012 where the two met for the first time in person. After the meet and greet the two communicated via Facebook and Obesity Help. Jim flew back to Atlanta in November of 2012 to visit with Christian and never really left. Jim moved from California to be with Christian in August of 2013 after practically spending several months in Georgia together. The two got married in September of 2013. They have stayed active in the community and go to local support groups in Georgia as much as possible to pay it forward. Jim’s foot surgery and Christian’s ankle surgery brought on regain for them both which they have worked as a team to battle. Being married to another WLS patient has its advantages and disadvantages but at the end of the day they both blessed to have the support and understanding of someone who has been there and understands.
