RUSHVILLE, Ind. (WTHR) - There's a new chapter tonight to Stanley's story, the substitute teacher who shed 500 pounds through surgery and hard work.
Stanley Hollar is now about to undergo another surgery to remove excess skin so he can get a new, well-fitting prosthetic leg.
Stanley's inventive way of getting around in a wheelchair, pushing with his good leg, while resting his amputated limb on the seat, won't be necessary much longer.
"I'm going to walk, run, hop, skip, jump," he said with a smile.
This substitute teacher from Rushville, whose body used to somehow be even larger than his personality, is taking a big step forward in his journey to walk again.
"In a few weeks, I'll have the first major obstacle out of the way of getting the legs tightened up where they need to be," Stanley explained. "Today's actually my pre-op for my first surgery."
On June 13, which is not a Friday as Stanley pointed out, he will undergo the surgery to remove the extra skin. Dr. Christopher Jones, a bariatric and plastic surgeon affiliated with St. Vincent Hospital, is his plastic surgeon.
"He could no longer fit any type of prosthesis and even if it were custom made, the looseness of the skin would not allow him to walk," Dr. Jones said. "He's gonna be my record...my record redundant skin on a leg guy."
Dr. Jones estimates he will remove about 1,000 grams - or two full pounds - of skin from Stanley's legs.
He has all that extra skin because Stanley made a major change after life-threatening weight gain. He shed 500 pounds in recent years: 250 through bariatric surgery, and another 250 through exercise, diet and determination.
But that dramatic weight loss led to a dramatic crisis: excess skin and a prosthetic leg hat no longer fit. Insurance wouldn't pay for skin removal, calling it cosmetic.
After friends and strangers saw his story, they raised more than $13,000 through a YouCaring site to help.
"All of it will go straight to my surgery," Stanley explained.
Dr. Jones discounted the procedure, as well. He says the surgery itself is not dangerous, but does have typical risks. He's done it many times before, just not with this much skin.
Jones says he's been impressed with and inspired by Stanley's care for others and his example of determination. He says helping Stanley walk again is worthwhile.
It's helping a man who lost so much, regain his life.
"Stanley's like the rest of us. He's just trying to get normal. Just so he can live his life and not think about the distraction or the malady of the disability, just to be Stanley," Dr. Jones said.
Stanley says he's excited, but also nervous about the surgery.
And this is just the first step.
He expects to have another surgery next summer to remove skin from his hips and abdomen and get that prosthetic leg.