- Mother-of-five Milla Clark, from Fayetteville, Tennessee, used to weigh 751lbs
- Widow used to rely on kids to wash and care for her and couldn't walk unaided
- Milla, 51, has slimmed down to 155lbs and learned to walk again over three years
- Determined Milla is the most successful patient ever on TLC's My 600lb Life
A morbidly obese woman who was bedridden for three years, and had to rely on her children to wash and care for her, has shed 596lbs (42.5 stone) and learned how to walk again.
Mother-of-five Milla Clark, 51, from Fayetteville, Tennessee, became the most successful patient ever on TLC's My 600lb Life after slimming down to just 155lbs (11 stone).
She originally weighed in at a hefty 751lbs (53.6 stone) when she first consulted weight loss expert Dr Younan Nowzaradan over three years ago.
Mother-of-five Milla Clark, 51, from Fayetteville, Tennessee, became the most successful patient ever on TLC's My 600lb Life after slimming down to 155lbs (11 stone)
She originally weighed in at a hefty 751lbs (53.6 stone) when she first consulted weight loss expert Dr Younan Nowzaradan over three years ago
Milla was completely immobile, having been completely unable to get out of bed for three years, which was due, in large part, to a 43lb lymphedema on her leg - painful swelling that left her in agony when she tried to stand.
As a result, Milla had not walked on her own in over 13 years when she first sought help with her weight - and she admitted on the show that her life had been made 'miserable' because of her condition.
'Every single day of my life is miserable,' she said at the time. 'I have been trapped in these four walls for more than two years. During that time, I have not stood one time. All I can do is eat and sleep.'
Because she was unable to move from her bed, Milla had to rely heavily on her children, four of whom are adopted, to take care of her, with the siblings having to bathe their mother every morning to make sure she didn't develop an infection.
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Prior to her incredible weight loss, Milla was bedridden for three years and relied on her children to wash and care for her
Milla said her life before her weight loss was miserable every single day because she was trapped in bed and unable to stand
The mother-of-five, pictured before her weight loss journey began, admitted that the only thing she could do on her own was eat and sleep
Her teenage children had to bathe their mother every day in order to prevent infections; her daughter Hannah would wash Milla's 'private parts' while Jacob help the lymphedema
Three of Milla's teenage kids, Jacob, now 19, Hannah, 18, and Caleb, 18, would wake up every morning before sunrise to go into her room and wash her because she couldn't do it herself.
While Hannah washed her mother's 'private parts', Jacob held the lymphedema because it was so heavy that her daughter couldn't lift it and clean her at the same time.
'It is such a humiliating thing,' Milla said in 2017, lamenting: 'Children their age shouldn't have to take care of their parents.'
Milla had struggled with her weight her entire life, and when she was only three years old, other kids started calling her fat, making her realize just how big she was.
However, because she was so young, she didn't associate her unhealthy eating habits with her ongoing weight gain, and she explained that her relationship with food was made even more difficult because her mother would feed her and her sister because it was the only way she knew how to show them love.
Milla, who is pictured when she was younger (left and right), said kids started calling her fat when she was only three years old
Milla, who is pictured on her wedding day, met her husband Elroy shortly after she graduated from high school, and she said she 'forgot she was fat' because she was so in love with him
After their wedding, Milla got pregnant with the couple's first child, but after her weight reached nearly 500lbs, it became too risky for to try and have another baby
Because they couldn't have anymore biological children, Milla and Elroy decided to adopt four kids who were growing up in homes with drug addicted parents
After her high school graduation, she met Elroy and they got married, and while she weighed over 400lbs at the time, he didn't see her weight as a problem.
'I was so in love with Elroy. I forgot I was fat for a minute,' Milla said.
Soon after they said 'I do', Milla gave birth to her first child, and while they wanted to have more children, her weight was close to 500lbs making it far too risky for her to try and conceive again.
Instead, the couple adopted four children from homes with drug-addicted parents. And while, she vowed to take care of them, they ended up being the ones tending to her needs.
In the hopes of saving her life, Milla and her family made the decision to move to Houston, Texas, so she could consult with weight loss surgeon Dr. Nowzaradan.
Before she started her journey, Milla had been bedridden for two years, and relied on her five children and her now-late husband Elroy to take care of her
Milla was inconsolable because she was unable to leave her bed to visit Elroy in the hospital before she died, but she remained motivated to stick to her weight loss plan
As well as working with Milla, Dr Nowzaradan also made sure her children met with a dietitian so they could learn about their mother's diet, because he wanted to be sure they would no longer enable her addiction to eating before he sent her home.
The weight loss expert explained that he wanted to operate on Milla to remove her lymphedema, but she needed to lose weight first in order to make it safe for her to undergo a surgical procedure.
So the mother-of-five dedicated herself to her weight loss program, and lost an impressive 100lbs on her own, making her eligible for surgery; Dr Nowzaradan removed the large lymphedema - swelling caused by a build-up of lymph fluid under your skin - and she continued trying to get healthy.
Then, once she was able to finally stand on her own, Milla underwent weightloss surgery.
Throughout her weight loss journey, she remained incredibly focused and dedicated, only faltering briefly when her beloved husband Elroy passed away from a heart attack two months into filming the show.
Milla, pictured in 2017, chronicled her weight loss journey on the TLC special, My 600lb Life: Where Are They Now?, going from 751lbs to 477lbs (pictured) in two years
Once Milla got under 200lbs she had both knees replaced which allowed her to finally stand completely upright and walk on her own without a cane or walker
Milla underwent several skin removal surgeries after shedding the pounds, leaving her with significant scarring
Dr Nowzaradan removed the large lymphedema - swelling caused by a build-up of lymph fluid under your skin - on her leg and Milla later underwent weightloss surgery
She was inconsolable because she was unable to leave her bed to visit him in the hospital before she died.
But it was her children who ultimately motivated her to stick to her weight loss plan and she became more determined then ever to lose the weight so she could be a 'proper mom' to her kids.
She also underwent several skin removal surgeries, and once she got under 200lbs she had both knees replaced, which allowed her to finally stand completely upright and walk on her own without a cane or walker.
At the end of an episode of My 600lb Life in 2017, Milla had shed a total of 153lbs and stood for the first time in two years
Milla pointed out she still had a lot of excess skin around her body, which was later removed
On the latest episode of the show Milla was seen celebrating her 51st birthday surrounded by family and friends including her kids
During the celebrations for her birthday, Milla's children said they were 'very proud' of her journey
On the latest episode of the show, Milla was seen celebrating her 51st birthday surrounded by family and friends including her kids, who also said they were 'very proud' of her journey.
She was also seen doing activities with her children for the first time in years, including canoeing - and she even took three of the kids on a date with her!
By the end of the three years she was down to her goal weight of 155lbs, earning her a well deserved hug from Dr Nowzaradan.
By the end of the three years Milla was down to her goal weight of 155lbs, making her the most successful patient on the show of all time
Milla was also seen doing activities with her children for the first time in years, including canoeing
With her newfound confidence, Milla even took three of her children out on a date with her
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