A 600-pound Saskatoon man campaigning for bariatric surgery may have finally found the break he’s seeking.
Friends of Luke Deitner, 21, started an online campaign two weeks ago to raise $30,000 for him to have bariatric surgery, a procedure that would shrink his stomach and, hopefully, reduce his calorie intake.
The campaign had, as of Wednesday evening, raised only $2,195 — much less than its goal. A local company, however, has since reached out to Deitner with what could potentially save the 600-pound man’s life.
Weight Loss Forever, a Canadian company with offices in Saskatoon and throughout the country, told Deitner he is a strong candidate for their assistance program. The company, which facilitates weight loss, sends obese patients to Mexico for bariatric surgery.
Their assistance program helps one patient each year from across Canada who can’t afford the surgery. The company told Deitner he should apply for assistance, informing him of the pre-operation requirements that include an 800-calorie-per-day diet for about a month before surgery.
“We put all patients on a pre-op diet for their safety, but we would never require him to lose a certain amount of weight (to undergo surgery),” said Bonnie Bilsky of Weight Loss Forever. “Of course, any weight that patient does lose prior to surgery is only going to benefit them in the end.”
Bariatric surgery is not performed in Saskatchewan, according to Deitner. He said two weeks ago he was hoping Saskatchewan Health could cover some of the costs of undergoing the surgery in Montreal.
He was unavailable Wednesday to comment on whether or not he plans to apply for Weight Loss Forever’s assistance program.
The 600-pound man told CTV two weeks ago he’s worried he’s on the path to an early death.
“I’m basically one foot in the grave,” he said. “There’s countless loving family members that, if I don’t do something about this now, I would have to leave behind.”
The success of bariatric surgery depends on how well a patient adjusts their lifestyle following the operation.
