Chapter 3 - thomas - breaking news

“It’s a shocking revelation of morbid obesity. This is a case that no one wants to happen to them or their family, but it’s becoming all too common,” the news anchor reports with excitement. The more sensationalized a story, the better ratings the news channel will get this month. The extreme case should incite excitement and disgust in everyone.

The anchor practically spits with enthusiasm. “A man estimated to weigh over 700 pounds is reaching out for help after being confined to his bed for the past two years. Thomas Gardner, from Baton Rouge, has been eating up to 22,000 calories a day and has not been able to leave his house since graduating high school. Gardner is now asking for help to lose weight and change his life before it’s too late. However, that’s not the most shocking part of this story. Rafael Liggins has more on this story.”

The news channel cuts to an image of a dapper man in a suit with a microphone inside the subject's bedroom.

“That’s right. He is pleading with the public for help, saying he is desperate to get his life back on track. That’s because Thomas Gardner tipped the scale at approximately 700 pounds two and a half years ago. He’s not been able to be weighed since, so it’s much higher now. The most shocking part? Thomas only just turned 20 years old, and he’s been bedridden for over a year. I’m here with Thomas as he tells us his tragic story.”

The camera shoots a close-up of Thomas, clearly naked in his bed but attempting to cover up in a bed sheet as if anything would be in view and not covered by his enormous belly. Thomas is so large he practically fills up the width of a queen mattress parked on the floor from where he must have broken a bed frame. His huge thighs and lower legs make the sheet look puffy, subtly revealing that they touch and are likely filled with fluid. The sheets are a gross display of yellow and brown stains. The parts that aren’t covered are his head, revealing long, brown hair, thick arms, several chins, and two plump breasts.

“Thomas, tell us, have you always been big?” Rafael’s tongue clicks on the roof is his mouth as he finishes his sentence in anticipation.

“Y-yeah. I guess it all started when I was younger. I was always a bit overweight, but I never really thought anything of it. I just loved food, and I didn't really care about my weight. But then, as I got older, I started putting on more and more weight. I stopped being able to do things that I used to enjoy, like playing sports or going for walks.”

“So, lack of exercise and poor diet are to blame?” a smirk spreads across Rafael’s face.

Thomas blushes. “I- I don’t know. I mean… I think it’s more complex. I don't have the best metabolism, so it's easy for me to gain weight. And once I start eating unhealthy, it's hard to stop.”

“That doesn’t sound like a metabolism problem.”

“I-I have a a pre-pre-dispo—“ Thomas tries to defend himself, but he’s cut off.

“Metabolism and predisposition to weight gain is an excuse for maybe a 50 pound gain, not 500. You just told us you didn’t care and ate whatever you wanted. Do you feel like you’re making an excuse here?”

Thomas gets silent and doesn’t know how to respond. Why is this reporter being so abrasive? Thomas wanted the situation as sugar-coated as the atrocities he’s used to eating. He wants to cry and have his dad bring him more food.

“Anyway, let’s continue. You gained more weight, and…” Rafael leads Thomas to tell how he ended up bedridden.

Thomas gulps. “The more weight I gained, the harder it became to move around. Eventually, I just stopped moving altogether. I stopped going out. I stopped seeing my friends. I just became a recluse. And the weight just kept piling on...”

“Wow, that's really sad. And I'm sure it must be really tough for you, physically and emotionally.”

“It's hard to be so big and so helpless,” admits Thomas. “I can't do anything for myself. I have to rely on other people for everything. And it's emotionally draining, too. I feel like I'm missing out on life.”

“Who do you rely on? Who brings you the food since you’ve made yourself into a blimp?” Rafael asks, looking at a man across the room.

“M-my f-father,” Thomas says quietly, looking up at his enabler.

The man walks over, and the camera picks him up beside his son over spilling the bed. The man is the exact opposite of Thomas, in his late forties, clean cut, and somewhat fit. He’s handsome that even the straightest man would submit and call him daddy.

“Mr. Gardner, tell us a little about your son and his weight gain.”

Kevin Gardner has a dark twinkle in his eye, knowing that Thomas is huge because he’s enabled him, and he wouldn’t have it any other way. Show time. "My son is a great kid. He's always been a bit on the heavy side, but about three years ago, he started putting on weight really quickly. We took him to the doctor, who said he was morbidly obese and would die if he didn’t get help. Tommy was 700lbs then, but about half a year later, he became bedridden,” Kevin tries to hide the thrill in his voice that his son could even get that big.

Kevin continues, “We don't know why, but Tommy just keeps eating and eating. He can't move much, so he just sits in his room all day watching TV. We've been working with him to try to help him lose weight, but it's been really hard. He loves food, and he's always been a big eater. It's been…hard to watch him go through this. He's not able to do much anymore, and he's in a lot of pain. We're just doing the best we can to help him.”

Something doesn’t sit well with Rafael because Kevin is enabling Thomas but doesn’t seem to acknowledge that he’s an enabler. They don’t know why Thomas is in the state he’s in, struggling to breathe, bedridden under a dirty bedsheet. “What's it like for you as a father?”

“It's tough. I mean, you always worry about your kids, but with him, it's different. You worry about him 24/7. You worry about him every time he eats because you don't want him to overeat and hurt himself. You worry about him because you think he doesn’t eat enough and that he will starve himself. He needs enough food to give him the nutrition he needs. You worry about him every time he moves because you don't want him to get injured. It's a constant worry. It’s better for him that he doesn’t move.”

There it is. Things just got even more interesting. Rafael tries not to smile. “Wow. And how do you care for him?”

“It’s difficult. We have to use a crane to move him. He can’t really move on his own, so I hired some home health aides. We have to bathe him properly, so he doesn’t get infections. We also have to move him every few hours to prevent bedsores and make sure he gets enough to eat and drink. I'm trying to get him to eat less and exercise more. But it's hard because he loves food so much.”

“Would you call that enabling him?”

“I'll do whatever it takes to make sure he's taken care of because a big boys got to eat.”

“What do you think his future is like?” Rafael fuels the shit show of an interview.

“I don't know. I just hope that he can find a way to control his eating so that he can live a normal, healthy life. If he doesn’t, I can see him eating, getting larger and larger until his stomach or heart bursts.”

“What do you want us to know about Thomas’ obesity?”

"I want people to know that obesity is a real problem. It's not something that people can just control. My son is a good person, and he didn't deserve this. I hope we can help him get better." Kevin lies, knowing very well that this whole ordeal of an interview will leave Thomas morally defeated and ravenous. No one will get in the way of his son eating himself to oblivion. Kevin will play along for a bit, pretend that he’s getting Thomas help, maybe get some consultations, but at the end of the day, he’s in control. The sick, twisted father will never let him lose weight.

Rafael turns his attention back to Thomas. “What are you doing to lose weight?”

“I started seeing a therapist to help me deal with my emotions around food. I also started listening to Overeaters Anonymous meetings online. Ultimately, though, I contacted you to help me find the necessary resources I need to get gastric bypass surgery,” Thomas explains.

“What made you decide to seek out gastric bypass surgery? Do you think it’s too late since you’ve gotten so big?”

“I’ve got to try something new, even if it’s risky. I’ve tried every diet and exercise program out there, but nothing has worked. My health is starting to suffer because of my weight… heart disease, diabetes, I can hardly breathe unassisted, and I’m just really ready to make a change.

“That’s great! What are you most afraid of when it comes to the surgery?” Rafael inquires. He swears he saw Kevin smirk at his son’s plight.

“I’m just really scared of the unknown, you know? I’m scared of the pain, of the complications, of not being able to eat the same foods I love. But I’m also really scared of succeeding. I’m not sure I’m ready to make such a big change in my life, but the other option is dying, and I don’t want to do that.”

“Any final words for our viewers, Thomas?”

“I'm still here, despite everything. I'm still alive. And I'm grateful for that,” Thomas says with a hint of pain in his voice, knowing that one day soon, he won’t be. Every part of his being hopes that embarrassing himself on television is worth it. “Please help me.” Tears well up in his eyes the more he thinks about how close to death he is when he should be in the prime of his life.

“This is an incredible story, and we will be sure to keep you updated on his progress. From WBRZ-TV Channel 2, I’m Rafael Liggins.