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Mother Walks to Deal With the Stress About Son’s Brain Injury, Loses 100 Lbs in Stunning Transformation

Starting at 252 pounds, the mom takes up a healthy lifestyle and turns to walking to cope with stress of her teenage son's brain injury.

BY TIYASA BISWAS

UPDATED 3 DAYS AGO

Woman goes for a morning walk holding a bottle of water in her hand. (Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Patrik Giardino)

Shedding off 100 lbs is no easy task and Stacy Dodson from Florida accomplished it by actively turning towards walking. She had already embarked on her weight-loss journey when an unfortunate incident with her teenage son saw her falling back to old patterns, she told TODAY.com. Stacy, who started her journey from 252 pounds, lost significant weight through a change of perspective and active lifestyle, but also managed to cope with the stress of her son’s permanent brain injury with her commitment to walking.

Close-up image of the feet of an individual walking on a gravel road. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Westend61)

Overweight mother's transformation amid son’s health scare

Dodson, 53, was on her way to achieving what she had wanted but struggled with, her entire life– weight loss. She explained herself as being overweight since childhood while her family had given up any hope of witnessing a transformation. But she did it. However, her weight loss journey not only helped her cut down on her unhealthy eating habits and sedentary lifestyle but also encouraged her to tackle life’s challenges.

Earlier this year, her 14-year-old son met with a tragedy. He was attacked at school with his head slammed on concrete twice resulting in brain injury among others. “On January 31st, our lives changed. I’m so thankful I was in the process of getting healthier because I got a little waylaid with my food choices,” Stacy told the outlet. In July, she and her husband were informed that the brain damage was permanent. Despite the tragedy, Stacy did not allow it to waver her inner strength. Even though she found herself stress eating again, she made healthier food choices.

Mother sitting by young son's hospital bed. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | rubberball)

She added, “I grab grapes at night and eat through my emotions. As a mom, you cry at night, and in the day, you put a smile on your face and you say, ‘Let’s get through this, everything’s going to be great.’” With this mindset, Dodson was able to embrace the new journey of figuring out her son’s brain injury. She said, “That’s a stressful thing for me. I’m trying to learn how to deal with this.” She and her husband moved forward with a positive approach toward their son’s injury and went camping. The outdoor activities helped him cope with the anxiety in addition to the mom's commitment to a healthy lifestyle. She revealed that the activities they did while camping– horseback riding, whitewater rafting, and river tubing– would not have been possible if she was heavier.

Dodson's weight-loss inspiration

The Floridian was deeply unhappy when she began her weight transformation from 252 pounds. The turning point came when she spotted herself as the biggest person in a Christmas family photo in 2022. Recognizing her forced smile, she recalled wanting to lose weight but not knowing where to start. Her poor relationship with food further contributed to her being overweight, often self-medicating with ice-creams, sweets, and fatty foods, per the source.

It was only when Dodson saw a side-by-side transformation picture of her co-worker’s wife who had lost 120 pounds, that she felt motivated to start her journey. She took up the challenge of losing 100 pounds by walking every day with her friend in the morning at Ormond Beach, Florida. She also joined support groups and started biking 10 miles every night. Besides that, she has been open with her journey on social media, hoping to inspire others in a similar situation.