700-Pound Woman Pleads For Help

CBS11 in Dallas/Fort Worth has the story of a chronically obese woman's desperate plea for help.

Karen Ferguson is unable to leave her trailer home in northwest Tarrant County, Texas. The last thing she wanted is attention, but she is reaching out for help.

"I would never bring myself down to go on the news looking like this," Ferguson said. "I would wish it'd be for a cure or that I'm doing good or something. But not like this. It's hard on the family."

Ferguson estimates she weighs 700 pounds. She said it's because of her diabetes. Several years ago, at around 300 pounds, she had open heart surgery.

Ferguson needs people to help her get to a portable toilet, which is only two steps from her chair. Ferguson said she's been turned down by nursing homes who claim problems with Medicare. Now she fears she'll lie here, unable to move, her bed sores festering and her body deteriorating.

"That's the worst thing I could ever imagine," Ferguson said. "Because why would it need to be that way? If there's not a cure, you know what I'm saying, don't just let someone lay there and die. So I've asked them about rehabilitation. But there's too many red tapes. But when it boils down to it, it wasn't red tape it was my size."

Here's the story and video: