Bonnie had not stepped outside of her home for 7 years, and she hadn’t left her bed for 5 years before Iyanla Vanzant intervened as part of her OWN television program Iyanla Fix My Life.

'Iyanla Fix My Life' Helps Bonnie

Iyanla, a life coach who has long been working with Oprah Winfrey, was called in to help by Bonnie’s friends and family, most notably Bonnie’s 24-year-old daughter Jamesha. In the episode of Iyanla’s reality program, Jamesha finally confronted her mother about her extreme weight gain and the burden it puts on her as a daughter and caretaker.

Jamesha is a mother to a young son and she was forced to admit to her own mother that sometimes she felt like she had two children: her son and her mother. Not only that, but she also revealed that her mother, confined to her bed for half a decade, was so far removed from her life that it was almost as if she had died.

Bonnie Goes Outside For The First Time In 7 Years

The true standout of the episode came when Bonnie left her home for the first time in seven years. Convinced by Iyanla to seek treatment for obesity, Bonnie was rolled out of her home on a stretcher by EMTs. The moment the sun hits her face and she feels the air on her face, Bonnie bursts into tears.

“Fresh air!” she said, clearly elated.

Cheering her on from the sidewalk were friends and family, and when Iyanla pointed them out to Bonnie, Bonnie sobbed.

“I’m sorry. Everybody, I’m sorry,” Bonnie said.

Bonnie was taken to a USC hospital, where doctors estimated that she weighed over 650 pounds. They were unable to get her exact weight because she could not fit on their scale.

Through rehab and extreme diet control, Bonnie has lost over 70 pounds and during the episode, Iyanla revealed that Bonnie had stood on her own two feet for the first time in a decade and has begun to walk again.

Iyanla: Fix My Life airs Saturdays at 9 p.m. on OWN.

Article by Olivia Truffaut-Wong

Olivia Truffaut-Wong was born and raised in Berkeley, California, where she developed her love of all things entertainment. After moving to New York City to earn her degree in Film Studies, she stayed on the East Coast to follow her passion and become an entertainment writer. She lives on a diet of television, movies and food.