I've been following my friend, Nancy Makin, as she promotes her new book, 703: How I Lost More Than a Quarter Ton and Gained a Life, which was released April 15. As you may already know, Nancy and I met when I was working at Women’s Resource Center and she was looking for ways to get her story out to the rest of the world.

Nancy’s tale of losing more than 530 pounds is at once shocking, hilarious, sad, and motivating. She didn’t diet or exercise her way to a healthy weight; she reached out and reconnected with other people through the internet. In that anonymous environment Nancy could not be pre-judged by people based on her physical self but rather her intellect and keen wit. The nurturing, human interaction she experienced helped Nancy regain her self-worth and leave behind the isolation and restriction her weight had imposed on her, something the medical establishment failed to accomplish.

Nancy’s journey to that peak weight of 703 pounds was fueled by many things, not least of which was a troubled childhood and a traumatic experience when her parents abandoned 9 year old Nancy and her sisters at a religious cult in Canada. Her Dickensian experience there – where she was forced to steal food to survive – most certainly played a role in her subsequent weight gain and self-imposed exile.

I was privileged to work with Nancy as she hammered out her book and once again faced some of those painful memories and I’m so very pleased to now invite you to follow her as she achieves her dreams of reaching out to others who struggle with massive weight issues, or any obstacle that seems insurmountable. She is a rare individual with a personality that even 703 pounds couldn’t eclipse and her story is full of humor, insight, and even compassion for those who failed her.

Nancy will be appearing at Schuler Books at the Eastwood Town Center in Lansing on May 13 at 7:00 p.m. and on 28th St. SE in Grand Rapids on Tuesday, May 18, at 7:00 p.m. Nancy is also seeking means of reaching out to others who struggle as she used to, so if you have any ideas, please don’t hesitate to let me know and I’ll pass the info along to Nancy or put you in touch with her.

Nancy’s particular target audiences are the medical community who still react with revulsion and judgment and who are less than successful in helping the obese, and also the obese themselves. Nancy’s message is one of spirit, hope and compassion and she is living proof that no matter what the packaging, within us all is an inherent value simply because we exist.