VALDOSTA — Around age 25 or 26, Shanda White was told that she would not live past 30 years old. She had reached 515 pounds and the cartilage in her knees had begun to weaken.

Today at age 35, Shanda is more than 300 pounds lighter and feels healthier and happier than she ever has. Here is her story.

Formerly Shanda Smith, she was born to Diane Jackson of Morven and William Smith of Atlanta. She was raised in Morven on Jackson Road by her grandfather, the late Simmie Jackson.

Shanda was educated in Brooks County Schools and graduated from Brooks County High School in 1992. She married Kendrick White a few years later and the couple now share one daughter, 16-year-old Effanie.

At an early age, Shanda battled with her weight.

“I’ve been overweight most of my life,” Shanda said. “I found out very quickly that the world is cruel to big people.”

Although Shanda was always a big woman, she did not “pack on the pounds” until she graduated and had Effanie.

“I just got bigger and bigger,” she said.

Shanda began considering her weight a health issue in the late 1990s.

“When my daughter had school events that allowed the parents to come eat lunch with the students, I would have to sit in the lobby while my husband went to eat with Effanie,” Shanda said. “I couldn’t walk to the cafeteria because I would get too tired.”

Shanda said that she could not keep a job for the same reason.

“My aunts had me on every known diet and bought me every diet pill available. However, nothing worked to help me lose weight. I ultimately sunk deeper and deeper into depression.”

In 2003, Shanda’s older sister, Kimberly, requested that their younger sister, Taffaney, bring Shanda to see her in Atlanta.

“When I got to Atlanta, Kimberly took me to Pastor Wiley Jackson and he prayed over me. Kimberly then encouraged me to seek medical attention for my weight.”

Shanda took her sisters’ advice and saw a physician.