At just 19 years old, David John Castañeda felt as though his life was already disappearing. He weighed 464 pounds. Much of his day was spent lying in bed. Eating had stopped being about hunger and had become something automatic, relentless and increasingly frightening. Breakfast alone could mean an eight-egg omelet loaded with cheese, ham and bacon. Later came entire packets of pasta with beef … Continue reading At 464 Pounds, He Feared He Was Dying — Three Years Later, His Transformation Is Almost Unrecognizable

It was supposed to be a celebration his family would remember forever. A wedding. A luxury cruise. The Mediterranean. A father surrounded by the people he loved most as his son began a new chapter in life. Instead, the trip ended in an unimaginable tragedy. Stephen Junker, a 58-year-old Minnesota pastor and father of five, died weeks after suffering a catastrophic spinal cord injury aboard … Continue reading He Boarded a Luxury Cruise to Celebrate His Son’s Wedding — Weeks Later, His Family Said Goodbye