Man who weighed 51 STONE and had not been outdoors for four years sheds 33 stone and is now working for the first time in 15 years as a porter at the hospital that saved his life
- Paul Stevenson, 38, barely left his home for four years after his weight ballooned
- However he has now started working as a porter at the Royal Derby Hospital
- The porter admitted he often sees staff who cared for him during his operation
A fifty stone man who shed two-thirds of his body weight has returned to work after 15 years – at the hospital which saved his life.
Morbidly obese Paul Stevenson, 38, couldn’t walk ten steps and barely left his home for four years after his weight ballooned.
But he has now started working as a porter at the hospital where he underwent the gastric surgery that put him on the road to a 33-stone weight loss.
Paul says he is grateful to be able to work again after starting at the Royal Derby Hospital.
Morbidly obese Paul Stevenson, 38, (left before the weight loss) couldn’t walk ten steps and barely left his home for four years after his weight ballooned. He is now a porter at the Royal Derby Hospital (right)
He was sent on a steep decline after his mother died and was splashing out on three or four takeaways everyday – which left his weight so huge at 51 stone that it was unreadable on the scales.
In 2016, he had a sleeve gastrectomy at the Royal Derby, where part of the stomach is removed, and introduced a new diet and exercise regime – reducing his weight dramatically.
He then went to Holland for an operation to remove his excess skin and now weighs 18 stone.
Since then, he married his girlfriend of two years and has now started work as a porter at Royal Derby Hospital, where he had his weight loss surgery four years ago.
Paul (pictured with one of the nurses he works with) says he is grateful to be able to work again after starting at the Royal Derby Hospital
He said: ‘This is the first job I’ve had for about 15 years. Because of how big and ill I had become, work became impossible.
‘I have always said that if there was ever anything I could do to give back to this hospital then I would do it, especially if it involved helping patients.’
Paul works across the hospital – from theatres and day cases to A&E and scanning – and clocks up to 35,000 steps per shift.
Paul (pictured now) works across the hospital – from theatres and day cases to A&E and scanning – and clocks up to 35,000 steps per shift
‘For someone who couldn’t take more than 10 steps without feeling like I was going to collapse to doing 37,000 steps on my first 12-hour shift is crazy,’ he said.
‘I thought that I would be aching for days on end but surprisingly, I’ve been okay. I’m definitely ready for my bed when I get home though!’
The porter admitted that he often sees the staff who cared for him during his operation.
In 2016, Paul had a sleeve gastrectomy at the Royal Derby, where part of the stomach is removed, and introduced a new diet and exercise regime – reducing his weight dramatically
He said: ‘These are some of the people who saw me at my worst so I think it’s good for them to see where all of their hard work has gone.
‘This hospital and the NHS have saved my life.’
Paul has volunteered to help bariatric patients who are undergoing the same weight loss journey he once took.
He manages a local football team and is a motivational speaker to help others.
Paul has volunteered to help bariatric patients who are undergoing the same weight loss journey he once took
Mandy Linnington, Senior Sister on Ward 313, explained how she and her team felt humbled to have been a part of Paul’s recovery.
She said: ‘I always feel quite choked when I see him because I can’t believe how different he is now compared to when I met him.
‘It’s quite humbling for me as I went to meet Paul in his house when he was housebound before he came to the hospital.
‘So to see him now when he’s going on holiday, is out and about, he has a job and is getting married is really fantastic.’