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Health & Wellbeing

Little Evan’s cancer fight inspires Dundee mum to get healthy and lose 9 stone

Kelly Jolly's amazing weight loss transformation saw her lose half her bodyweight - dropping from 18 stone.
Debbie Clarke
Kelly Jolly demonstrating she can wear an individual leg from a pair of pj trousers she used to wear when she weighed more.
Kelly Jolly demonstrating she can wear an individual leg from a pair of pyjama trousers she used to wear when she weighed more. Image: Steve MacDougall/DC Thomson.

When Dundee mum Kelly Jolly’s son was diagnosed with leukaemia at the age of just five it inspired her to get healthy and she ended up losing an incredible nine stone in weight.

The 39-year-old had tried dieting before and had previously joined Slimming World as she was unhappy with her size.

At her heaviest she weighed 18 stone 5.5lbs.

But she had never been in the right mindset for it to work.

However, three years ago, her son Evan’s cancer diagnosis proved to be the catalyst for change.

Kelly wanted to get healthy, lose weight and overhaul her lifestyle so she could be there for him throughout his treatment as well as supporting her daughter.

“I’ve always been overweight and it just got worse. I was also very unhappy mentally,” she said.

Kelly Jolly, daughter Rhiannon and son Evan, who is in a wheelchair.
Kelly Jolly, daughter Rhiannon and son Evan. Image: Kelly Jolly

“I had tried losing weight before but just stopped because I had got fed up.

“But when my son was diagnosed with leukaemia in April 2020 my mindset changed.

“I wanted to lose weight, get fitter and be there for my son as well as my daughter, Rhiannon, 15.

“I wanted to show them that if you want something, you never give up.

“What he was going through showed me that if he can fight through that, then I can get to where I want to be too.”

Doctors diagnose son Evan with cancer, aged only 5

Initially doctors suspected Kelly’s son Evan had Covid when he was taken into Ninewells Hospital in Dundee in April 2020.

But she said he hadn’t been well for the previous six months.

“Evan was constantly sleeping and lethargic and I just felt something wasn’t right.

“I had been fighting to get him seen at the hospital for six months previously but they kept telling me it was viral infections he had and that his immune system must be compromised but they never did any blood tests.

“They did after he was taken in this time, though.”

She said a doctor took her aside and told her her son may have leukaemia.

“I couldn’t believe it because I had been fighting for six months to get him seen and now I was hearing this. I was shocked.”

Kelly's son, pictured in a hospital bed, was diagnosed with cancer in April 2020. It prompted Kelly to re-join Slimming World.
Kelly’s son was diagnosed with cancer in April 2020. Image: Kelly Jolly.

Evan was transferred to Edinburgh Sick Kids but had to be taken to the intensive care unit when his condition deteriorated. He was there for three days, before doctors carried out more tests.

“It came back that he had Acute Lymphoblastic leukaemia and by May 2 he had started treatment. He was given intense chemotherapy.”

When did Kelly decide to get healthy?

Over the next year Kelly spent a lot of time in hospital with Evan while he was receiving treatment for cancer.

And it was during this time that Kelly, who is currently studying patisserie and confectionary at Dundee and Angus College, made a life-changing decision.

“I was very overweight, always tired and I had no energy when I was in hospital with Evan. But it gave me a lot of time to think about how I could get healthy and fitter.”

She decided to attend a slimming class in 2021, even though the approach hadn’t worked for her before.

Of her weight loss motivation, Kelly said: “I had done Slimming World before but this time I had a new focus.

“I wanted to be there for my kids, especially my son because he was really sick. I wanted to be healthy and fit.”

Her son’s chemotherapy treatment was to last three years and despite the temptations, single mum Kelly managed to stick to her weight loss plan.

Evan, 8, had his last round of chemotherapy in the summer and has been in remission from cancer since July.

Kelly said: “I kept my mindset in place and when I had to go into hospital with my son I made sure I took all my meals and snacks in with me so I could stay on plan.

“In the first 18 weeks I lost a stone and by Christmas 2021 I had lost around five-six stones.”

How did Kelly hit her weight loss goals with Slimming World?

Kelly still eats a lot of food she used to have, but now she cooks meals from scratch.

“I make things like chicken curry and lasagne – for this I chop up tomatoes and make my own sauce.

“I can also have steak, roast chicken, roast beef and gammon dinners.”

Kelly eats all her carbs too like potatoes, pasta and rice but, crucially, she has cut her portion sizes so she doesn’t have as much on the plate.

Dundee mum Kelly has lost over nine stones since she re-joined Slimming World in 2021
Dundee mum Kelly has lost over nine stone since she re-joined Slimming World in 2021. Image: Steve MacDougall/DC Thomson.

“What I usually do is have half my plate full of vegetables. A lot of veg is known as ‘speed food’ because it helps to speed up weight loss.

“Speed food is mainly fruit like apples, oranges, raspberries, peaches, watermelon and vegetables like broccoli, green beans, cauliflower, carrots and cabbage.

“I didn’t eat as much fruit and veg before as I do now.”

What foods did Kelly eat before she started to lose weight?

Kelly confesses to eating a lot of takeaways before she decided to change her eating habits.

Kelly Jolly weighed over 18 stones before re-joining Slimming World after her son's cancer diagnosis.
Kelly Jolly weighed over 18 stone before her son’s cancer diagnosis. Image: Kelly Jolly.

“I would have a lot of takeaways, pub lunches and a lot of processed foods.

“And if I was making my own chicken curry before I would use sauce from a jar rather than making it myself.

“I would also eat a lot of crisps and chocolate and drink fizzy juice.

“Now I drink water or have it with sugar free juice and just have the odd can of Pepsi Max.

“And I don’t take sugar anymore, if I’m having tea of coffee I have sweeteners in them instead.

“In terms of alcohol, I’m not really a big drinker.”

How does she feel now after losing so much weight?

Kelly’s initial target weight to lose was six stone but after achieving it, she decided to keep going.

Dundee mum Kelly Jolly was inspired to re-join Slimming World to lose weight after son's cancer diagnosis
Dundee mum Kelly Jolly was inspired to lose half her bodyweight after son’s cancer diagnosis. Image: Steve MacDougall/DC Thomson.

“My actual target was six stone but I have now lost nine stone and 8lbs.

“I started off as a size 22-24.

“Now I am a size eight – the same size as my daughter – and I have lost more than 50 per cent of my body weight.

“I have a lot more energy now than I used to – I am up at 6am every morning doing a little workout, usually 50 sit ups and some weights, before I go to college.”

Kelly has also started doing personal training to build up muscle but her main exercise is walking.

“I walk everywhere and do about 50-60 miles a week.”

Weight loss led to semi-finalist spot at Slimming World awards

And Kelly’s hard work was rewarded when she was recently nominated for the Slimming World ‘Woman of the Year’ award and invited to the semi-finals in Derby at the weekend.

Dundee mum Kelly was a semi-finalist at the Slimming World 'Woman of the Year' awards after losing nine stone in weight.
Dundee mum Kelly’s remarkable weight loss made her a semi-finalist at the Slimming World ‘Woman of the Year’ awards. Image: Steve MacDougall/DC Thomson.

While she didn’t win a place in the final, she is proud of the fact that she was nominated.

She credits the members of her local Slimming World group, run by consultant Ginevra McComiskie in St Leonard and St Fergus Church Hall, for their support.

She added: “Now I can do everything I need to for and with my kids – they are really proud of me.”

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