Eman Ahmed, from Egypt, is believed to be the world's heaviest woman. According to her family, she weighs 1,102 pounds (500 kg).
"Eman didn't live life as everyone does," Shaimaa Ahmed, Eman's younger sister and carer, tells CNN. "She didn't enjoy her childhood or youth. She's been battling with her illness for 36 years."
According to her family, Eman has barely left her bedroom in over two decades. Unable to move or communicate, she spends her days trapped inside her family home, staring at the ceiling.
A stroke two years ago impaired her speech and mobility, so the last couple of years have been particularly difficult, Eman's sister says.
However, thanks to a social media campaign initiated by Shaimaa, the family's situation is now looking a little more hopeful.
Publicity surrounding Eman's plight caught the attention of eminent Mumbai-based surgeon, Dr. Muffazal Lakdawala, who set up a fundraising initiative in order to fly Eman to India.
-CNN