The Frenchman who lost 90 kgs and lifts 300 kgs

Kevin Chenais a 27yearold Frenchman had made international headlines in 2013 when an airline refused to let him fly citing excessive body weight Five years on he has managed to drop from 296 kg to 205 kg thanks to Mumbaibased bariatric surgeon Dr Muffazal Lakdawala and a Jordanian princessNow after 15 years of immobility not only has Chenais got back on his feet but he is also striking poses like his favourite Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan He started gaining weight when he was just six months old by the time he was 22 hed touched 220 kg mdash a classic example of acute childhood obesityKevin Chenais exercises under the watchful eyes of Dr Muffazal Lakdawala and the trainer Princess Haya bint Al Hussein of Jordan below provided her private jet to enable him to come to the city for the surgery Picspradeep dhivar AFPScarred by past ordealDesperate Chenais sought treatment across the globe in France Switzerland and the US He underwent his first bariatric surgery at a famous weight loss centre in the US in 2004 He lost 35 kg but gradually started putting on even more weight finally shooting up to 296 kg The open surgery also left him so traumatised that he was apprehensive about undergoing another one that is until he heard of Dr Lakdawala from his mother who works with the UN Human Rights Council and used to stay in KolkataShe tried to persuade me to undergo the surgery but I was scared I had to go through counselling first But now for the first time in almost a decade I can actually stand on my feet and even use a normal bathroom said the ecstatic FrenchmanPrincess Haya bint Al Hussein of JordanChenais shed nearly 100 kg during his yearlong treatment at Saifee Hospital which included counselling a severe diet regime physiotherapy and finally bariatric surgery in June this yearThanks to the treatment even as his weight drops his strength is only increasing He is also working out in the gym under the supervision of trained instructors and can even lift his former weight mdash 300 kgPrincess CharmingIts not just Dr Lakdawala he has to thank for his transformative journey After hed made up his mind to fly to Mumbai for treatment he faced a repeat of the humiliation hed suffered in 2013 when no airline agreed to fly him to IndiaIt was Jordanian Princess Haya bint Al Hussein who came to his rescue She had heard of him after his story was splashed across papers five years ago and agreed to help when Chenaiss mother reached out to her As my mother works in the UN she reached out to Princess Haya who agreed to help me out said Chenais The princess provided her private jet to bring him to the city accompanied by two doctors in case of emergency He also carried an oxygen cylinder with him during the flightNew name new lifeWhen I landed in Mumbai last August I was 296 kg and now I am 205 kg said Chenais adding Once I lose another 100 kg I will officially take Krishna Kapoor as my new name I want to start my new life with a new identity of my choice Like Krishna I too want to fight evil which for me is the curse of childhood obesity I want to devote my life to saving lives from this malaise I will also write a book on all the suffering I faced just because I was fat Chenais told middayHe is already a new man since his weight loss started In his yearlong stay in the city Chenais has taken a shine to Bollywood movies and Shah Rukh Khan is his absolute favouritePost the surgery when his physical exercise started Kevin would pose like SRK and spread his arms in the air asking us if he was doing it correctly So you can see the change in him and how his confidence has increased said Dr LakdawalaThe doctor recalled how unconfident the youth was when he had first arrived He wouldnt even talk to the hospital staffers but now he is laughing and posing like his favourite stars A doctor feels most satisfied when he can give a new life to a patient one who was so shy and fearful and has now turned into the most joyful person Due to his obesity he couldnt even move and was homeschooled Now he is hopeful that he can have a normal life added the surgeonCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates