Tuesday, September 27, 2005
So I'm on the plane, and they have these little "Direct TV" monitors. Since I don't have a television, I was completely fixated.
There was this show on The Learning Channel about a woman - Jackie - considered perhaps to be the largest woman alive. She weighed 627 pounds. I nebech felt SO sorry for her. There was something about her story that was so compelling, I wanted to hug her. Firstly, I instinctively felt she was a Yid. She had this delicious Jewish face, she could have been a relative. This suspicion was borne out when the cameras followed her around her house - lots of Judaica. She hadn't left her home in over a year, as every step she took required massive effort.
Jackie had tried countless times to arrange for bariatric surgery, but no doctor was willing. Too risky. Finally, she found a specialist who would. Jackie had this very sweet nurse who took care of her, who was helping her get out of the house to go to the hospital. Watching Jackie get into the van was killing me. She was brought in a wheelchair, but she looked at the open van and said "I can't. Please G-d help me, there's no way I'm getting in there." Gevalt! My heart was breaking for her - her pain and fear were obvious. Baruch Hashem, Jackie did get in that van and did survive her surgery. Then my plane hit the runway. I was in seat 1F, right there in front. I decided I was going to sit there and watch, and let everybody else off first. JetBlue wasn't interested in Jackie's plight, however. They shut off the monitors.
I wanted to see a fast-forward to a year later, with Jackie being one or two hundred pounds lighter. I wanted to see her moving a little easier, breathing a little easier, feeling better about herself. I wanted to see her on the road to weight loss and health. I wanted a happy ending, damn it! I wonder if The Learning Channel has a website?
Jackie, wherever you are, I LOVE YOU.
Love, Maven @ 
2 Comments:
At 2:42 PM,
Anonymous said…
http://tlc.discovery.com/tvlistings/episode.jsp?episode=0&cpi=110516&gid=14001&channel=TLC
It's showing again on 10/3 and 10/4. That should help you.
You know who - the crisis friend
At 3:04 PM,
Maven said…
THANK YOU! How did you get that information?
I'll try to get somebody with a TV (Mom, maybe?) to tape it.
BTW, I hereby re-name you "netzach-friend."
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