My name is Cynthia Yarbrough and I’ve been sharing my weight loss and fitness journey on Facebook with anyone who wants to follow it, including my process toward getting the breast reduction surgery that I’ve needed all my life.

My bust started to get bigger than was normal, early in my teens.  As my chest got bigger and bigger, suddenly I couldn’t run or jump without pain... pain in my back, my chest, and my shoulders.  Soon I could no longer do those things that I loved to do as an active teenager.

Then there was the embarrassment... clothes that are too tight across the chest but hang like a tent everywhere else, the jiggling when I walk (because no bra will hold it all still), the looks, the stares, the comments.  As I began to gain weight, it only got worse.  The less I could do, the harder it was to keep the weight off.  The more weight I gained, the bigger my breasts got.  It became a relentless cycle.

Last May I was in the worst place I’ve ever been, physically.  I weighed 286 lbs.  I was in constant pain. My back hurt so bad I couldn’t stand for more than a minute or two at a time, literally.  There was stabbing pain in both knees with every step I took, and I was beginning to develop hip pain as well...   I t was time to DEAL WITH IT, once and for all! 

There was a young man volunteering in the youth department at church, he’s a body builder and a personal trainer.  So  I decided to talk to him, and when I did, h e asked me two questions,  “How serious are you?”  And,  “What are you willing to DO?” So I told him, “I’m ready to do whatever it takes.  You just tell me what to do and I’ll do it.”

So...  I now have a personal trainer!  He tells me what to eat, how much to eat, and when to eat it.  He has me doing 45 minutes of cardio on a stationary bike twice a day.   We meet at the gym 5 days a week, usually at 6:30 AM, and I work out for an hour.  I’ve been working really hard, and I’ve made a lot of progress.  I’ve lost 80 lbs. so far and I have about 60 more to go.

We've recently learned that having excessively large breasts is causing a spinal issue that is now causing a very painful knee problem.  So this is a severe health issue that needs to be corrected.

I’ve desperately needed breast reduction surgery all my life, but I don’t have health insurance, so it’s going to be “self pay” for me.  But I’m also going to need a tummy tuck to deal with the excess abdominal skin from losing so much weight.  These two surgeries are frequently done together, and the price is considerably less having them done together, rather than having two separate surgeries.

Right now I’m in the middle of my weight loss process.  The doctors tell me it’s important to lose ALL the weight BEFORE they do the surgery.  So I work out hard every day, I keep my nutrician plan diligently, and soon I’ll be moving forward with this surgery, so now I need to raise the money to have it done.

I need $15,000 for the surgery.  So I’m asking my followers, supporters, and anyone with compassion for my situation to prayerfully consider donating toward the cost of my surgery.  You will be helping me fix a long-standing and debilitating problem, so I can serve God better and fulfill His call on my life.