The internet has the power to bring people together and tear them down.
As a nation, however, I'm always inspired by our uplifting ability to rally around victims of bullying and raise them up — like those who supported this brave woman who was body-shamed after a first date.
But when I found out how the victims of one cyberbully banded together to actually help him, I absolutely couldn't believe it.
Jesse Shand, of Michigan, was a prolific online troll and especially delighted in leaving negative comments on bodybuilding websites in an attempt to humiliate the athletes.
Why? Jesse was actually 700 lbs. himself and was struggling with his own physical health issues — along with being in a deep depression.
After posting endless negative notes on one online forum in particular, the bodybuilders demanded that Jesse show a picture of himself and finally reveal his true identity.
You'll never believe what happened next…
Scroll through below to see his incredible story of transformation, along with a video documenting his journey.
How do you support victims of bullying? Let us know in the comments.
h/t Daily Mail
Jesse was a 28-year-old man who spent most of his time indoors trolling bodybuilding forums online.
He was also 700 lbs. and basically living as a recluse. But when Jesse finally revealed his identity to his victims, he never expected this response.
The bodybuilders actually banded together to help him lose weight and change his life forever.
Jesse has since lost an astonishing 400 lbs. and become a total workout fanatic.
Jesse is constantly at the gym and has completely transformed his diet, cutting out junk food and eating to sustain his growing muscle mass.
In the beginning, performing any physical activity was just too difficult, so his newfound friends encouraged him to start by 'sitting in a chair and flopping around.'
Jesse keeps up his workout practice by going to the gym five times a week. 'Some of the members started trying to talk me into believing I could lose weight. I had hundreds of excuses but they won't accept any of them,' Jesse shares with the Daily Mail.
Unfortunately, his weight loss has left Jesse with over 35 lbs. of excess skin.
Now he's trying to raise $20,000 for an operation to remedy the situation.
Sadly, Jesse's father was murdered when he was a child, leading to his weight gain and subsequent reclusive lifestyle. 'I wanted to force my misery onto someone else — it meant I didn't have to think about my own terrible situation.'
Jesse now lives as an inspiration to others trying to lose weight. And his mother, Coreen, couldn't be more proud, 'I thought he would die very young and didn't think he had much longer. Now I feel absolutely fantastic and I don't worry anymore. It has been a godsend.'
Watch this video below to see this one man's moving total life transformation.
Jesse's story just goes to show the importance of kindness and human connection in helping to change people's lives for the better.
What do you think of the response from the bodybuilders to Jesse's online bullying? Let us know in the comments.
Please SHARE if you're also inspired by Jesse's story of resilience and acceptance!
