Sometimes, we need a wake-up call to motivate us to make a change.  Brian B., a New Horizon patient, received that call in July of 2016 when he found out that his mother would need a liver transplant.  Eager to help, Brian went through an entire week’s worth of testing to see if he could donate part of his liver to his mother, but even after finding out that he was a perfect match, he couldn’t donate.

“Basically, they told me ‘you’re too fat,’” he said.  “They said ‘not only can you not donate to your mother, but you’re basically following in her footsteps… in 10 years you could need a transplant too.’”  To donate, Brian’s Body Mass Index had to be under 30, but he was almost off the BMI chart, nowhere near 30.

After receiving the news from his doctor, Brian decided to take matters into his own hands and change his future.  He started looking for weight loss clinics, but he wanted “someone that could educate me,” not just a quick fix program.  One of his co-workers was a patient at New Horizon, and after speaking to Brian about his desire to lose weight, she recommended that he start at New Horizon as well.  On December 3rd, 2016, Brian began the program at the clinic, and had great success.

Nine months later, Brian is “doing awesome… I’ve had a total weight loss of 78 pounds.”  He recently stopped his visits at New Horizon to focus on preparing himself mentally and physically for the surgery to help his mother, which he is now eligible for.

During his time at New Horizon Brian was able to change his lifestyle, and even after he stopped coming into the office he continues to have success.  “I feel great, I don’t feel like I’m trying, I’m just taking what I learned and continuing,” Brian said.

However, Brian’s success didn’t stop with himself.  “I also inspired my brother to lose weight, and he’s down 50 or 60 pounds,” he said.   Besides encouraging his family to lead healthier lives, Brian also spreads the word about New Horizon as much as he can.  “I can’t speak enough of how awesome the clinic is,” he said.  “I feel so empowered and so educated, it’s like my second family… every time I go I say: ‘you guys saved my life.’”