Mum-of-two, 32, lost a massive 200lbs and HALF her weight – after being branded ‘too fat’ to travel in an emergency rescue helicopter

A 37-pound mother lost more than half her body weight after her daughter was told she was too fat to fly in a helicopter when she was rushed to hospital.

Danielle Hutchinson said she had been overweight her entire adult life, weighing a whopping 160 pounds and being a size 10.

The 32-year-old woman said she was not allowed to go on roller coasters because she was overweight and that she often had to ask for seat belt extenders on airplanes because she was severely overweight.

However, it was a dramatic family emergency that prompted Mrs. Hutchinson to make a drastic lifestyle change to lose weight.

Her four-year-old daughter Nevaeh was unable to breathe during a severe asthma attack in December 2022.

Nevaeh’s condition was so serious that doctors decided to send an air ambulance to fly her to a specialized hospital as quickly as possible.

But when the crew asked Mrs Hutchinson’s weight, she was “heartbroken” to be told she would not be able to travel with her daughter because her weight would make the flight too dangerous.

Instead, the mother of two had to drive separately to the hospital.

Ms Hutchinson, who lives in Norwich, Connecticut in the US, said this moment was her turning point to shed some pounds and began making extreme changes to her diet in the weeks that followed.

The child therapist used injections to lose weight for the first six months. Then she focused solely on diet and exercise for the next year until she lost a whopping 200 pounds.

Now weighing just 9 stone and wearing a size four dress, Mrs Hutchinson says she no longer recognises the person she used to be.

‘I have been overweight for almost my entire adult life. “I’ve never really made myself a priority, I’ve always made my children a priority,” she said.

“But when I couldn’t be with my daughter during her hour of need in the helicopter, I realized while riding that if I don’t put myself first, I can’t make my children a priority. or.

Recalling the incident, she said: ‘They wanted her to get to hospital as quickly as possible, but at our nearest regular hospital they didn’t have the machines they needed, so they had to fly to this particular hospital.

‘Before they arrived, they told me there was a weight restriction on the helicopter, so they put me on the scale and told me the combination of my weight, the pilot and the medical staff was too heavy and too dangerous.

‘It was really a shock. My husband had to stay with my son and my daughter had to go in the helicopter alone. It was a real turning point. It was heartbreaking to see her fly away alone.”

Ms Hutchinson said once Nevaeh was well enough, changing her diet and lifestyle became her sole focus in the following months.

“I stayed with her in the hospital for a week and when we got home I took everything out of the fridge and started researching healthier eating habits,” she said.

‘I saw results quite quickly. I started making small changes, like every morning on the way to work, where I would normally have breakfast, but now I made a healthier breakfast at home.

‘I cut out soft drinks from my diet, reduced portion sizes and increased my step count. I tried to do one thing at a time. I set myself small, achievable goals so that I could actually see progress.’

In addition to losing hundreds of pounds over the next year, Mrs. Hutchinson also began experiencing successes in her life that had nothing to do with her weight.

“One of my most memorable moments was when one of my children gave me a hug and her hands were able to touch behind my back,” she said.

‘I woke up and thought about food. It was so liberating to not be so fixated on food anymore.

‘I couldn’t ride roller coasters in amusement parks, I needed a seat belt extender on airplanes, I could never cross my legs and now I can. I still notice these things every day.

“It’s hard to believe how far I’ve come. I still get a fright when I walk past a store mirror.”

Ms. Hutchinson also began sharing her weight-loss journey on TikTok, where she amassed a large audience of 130,000 followers, documenting meal-prep ideas and at-home workouts to motivate others.

However, her massive weight loss has left her with around 10 pounds of loose skin around her stomach, which will cost $9,000 (£7,100) to remove through surgery.

‘I want to have the loose skin removed from my stomach. I have been denied three times by my insurance.

‘I have been prescribed medication for the rash I get from it. It is very uncomfortable and gets in the way when I exercise. And it doesn’t look attractive.

‘I hope I can raise as much money as possible to pay for the operation.’

Mrs Hutchinson has set up a fundraising campaign to help her have this operation here.

The NHS advises people who want to lose weight to first measure their BMI to find out if this is necessary.

If they really need to lose some pounds, a combination of exercise and eating healthy meals with lots of fruits and vegetables is the best solution, according to the health department.

Dieters should aim to lose 1 to 2 pounds per week through increased activity and healthy swaps. says the NHS.

However, the health department advises people not to crash diet and skip meals, as this can be unhealthy for you in the long run.