The UK's 'heaviest man', who once required a crane to lift his 47-stone body, has passed away from organ failure just before his 34th birthday.
Jason Holton, from Surrey, tipped the scales at an estimated 50 stone (700 pounds), before his death last Saturday as doctors were unable to halt the failure of his organs. His mother, Leisa, recounted how six firefighters had to transport him into Royal Surrey County Hospital following his ambulance ride.
"He's probably had about eight lives and I thought the doctors would be able to save him again, but sadly it wasn't possible," she told The Sun. "He was put on kidney dialysis and an IV drip but his kidneys weren't working. The doctor told Jason he'd pass away within a week as his organs were failing. Jason soon started to go downhill."
According to the coroner's report, organ failure and obesity were the causes of his death. Jason lived in a specially adapted council bungalow, complete with reinforced furniture to accommodate his size. In the latter part of his life, he became immobile, bed-bound, and suffered from breathing difficulties due to his immense weight, reports the Mirror US.
In October 2020, he had to be lifted out of his mother's third-floor flat by a crane, in an operation that involved over 30 firefighters and engineers after he collapsed. "That was the most devastating time of my life," he recounted to TalkTV.
"The terrifying part of it all was the amount of people outside. I did watch [the film] The Whale and it did feel like a horror movie to me. I said to my mum, don't watch it. I turned if off and I started crying. I cried myself to sleep at that film. It was very upsetting for me because now I thought I'm Britain's fattest man, that's what people are going to think of me."
He took on the title of the UK's heaviest man following the death of Carl Thompson, who tipped the scales at 65 stone, in 2015. Jason has openly attributed his weight issues to mental health struggles stemming from being bullied at school and the profound impact of losing his father when he was just a tender three years old.
Reflecting on his past, he once shared: "Maybe if I had my father around, maybe there would be rules set to what I'm eating and stuff to stop me putting things and stuff in my mouth. Just eating constantly. Lamb. doner meat, I had a problem with energy drinks. I just decided to get 15 of the Monster cans and drink them all in one go. I've been making changes which I seriously have for the audience by the way I have been, my diet now it's not consistent of loads of junk and I'm not changing."
He added, "I believe time's over for me in general. I'm coming up 34 now. I know I've got to try something." He had been hoping to be prescribed the weight loss injection semaglutide, marketed under the brand name Wegovy, but sadly never made it off the waiting list.
Mr Thompson, a Dover resident, had been housebound for nearly a year following medical advice that he needed to lose 70% of his body weight to survive. Despite already being overweight, Mr Thompson resorted to comfort eating after losing his mother to a brain tumour in 2012.