In the quiet suburbs of Nashville, Tennessee, in early 2015, Marla McCants was someone most people would never notice walking down the street. But Marla wasn’t just another face in the crowd — she was a woman fighting a battle most of us can’t truly imagine.

At her heaviest, Marla weighed nearly 800 pounds — so large that she couldn’t stand up, walk to the bathroom, or even care for herself without help. Simple daily tasks that many of us take for granted were impossible for Marla. The weight had taken over her body, her home, and her life. Her children were her primary caregivers, helping with everything from bathing to feeding and lifting her from bed. The future looked grim and her health was in a perilous state.