Dad loses 12 stone to honour promise he made to his dying daughter

A man has lost 12 stone in 12 months to honour a pledge made to his dying daughter that he would be around to help care for his grandchildren.

Mike Summers began his weight loss plan in August 2018 following the death of his daughter, Sarah, from breast cancer.

The 29-year-old mum-of-three died in September 2016.

"The last conversation I had with my daughter was I had to try and be around to help my son-in-law with her kids," said 56-year-old Mike.

"My goal was to make sure I could be around for my family and you could not get a better motivation than that."

Mike, who previously weighed 26.9 stone, now weighs 14.5 stone, averaging his weight loss to around a stone a month.

He describes the weight loss as the "single best achievement" in his life.

Mike lost 12 stone over the course of 12 months Credit: Mike Summers

Mike has Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), a condition which affects the lungs and makes it difficult to breathe.

He also has an atrial fibrillation of the heart - a condition that causes an irregular and often fast heart rate.

Both conditions can be managed by medication. But Mike said his previous weight had been putting a strain on his body.

"With the COPD, the weight was crushing my lungs and it was so straining. It also meant that my heart had to work a lot harder because I was carrying so much weight.

"Now I have lost all this weight, it has got a thousand times better. I feel fitter now than I did when I was in my 40s."