Running through grief
Before losing her life to breast cancer at 32, Ronnell dreamed of completing the SoCal Triple Crown race series. Now, her mother, Benilda, runs in her honor.
At nearly 400 pounds, Shawn Calnan embarked on a dedicated journey to exercise regularly and eat healthily. He lost about 100 pounds, grew lean muscle and started on a path to success.
Then, in 2020, Shawn further transformed his health after undergoing gastric sleeve surgery performed by Sharp Community Medical Group surgeon Dr. George Mueller at Sharp Memorial Hospital. But Shawn knew the gastrectomy — a type of bariatric surgery — was not going to be a quick fix to cure his Class III obesity, formerly known as morbid obesity.
“Diet and exercise are extremely important both before and after the surgery,” says Dr. Mueller.
Working with his Sharp care team, Shawn continued to lose more weight after his procedure and became a personal trainer to help others. He credits his mindset, commitment and the support he received from Sharp Memorial for improving his health and lifestyle.
“The surgeon, the teams and the nurses that took care of me over at Sharp Memorial were phenomenal,” he says.
Watch the video above to learn more about Shawn’s health journey.
Learn more about bariatric programs at sharp.com/memorialbariatrics.
For the news media: To talk with Dr. George Mueller about this story, contact Erica Carlson, senior public relations specialist, at erica.carlson@sharp.com.
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