"It's humiliating" — My 600-lb Life star Karen comments on seeking help from her daughter

My 600-lb Life Season 13 aired Episode 3, Karen's Journey, on January 15, 2025. It documented the life story of Karen Suffern, a 42-year-old mother of twins, weighing over 600 pounds. She could not perform daily tasks without experiencing excruciating pain. As a result, she often had to seek her daughter's assistance. However, the dependency was not something she was proud of.

While detailing the hurdles Karen had to overcome daily, she revealed that even walking to and fro from the bathroom was challenging for her body. She had to climb a flight of stairs to reach the bathroom which not only hurt her lower back but also left her gasping for air.

Since her body could not cope with the journey to the bathroom, Karen had to rely on her daughter's help for the rest. Although it bothered her to involve the children, she did not have much of an option.

"My kids are everything to me. It's humiliating for me having to ask my daughter to help," Karen added.

Besides slowly losing her mobility, the My 600-lb Life star grappled with agoraphobia. Karen expressed that she wanted to embark on a healthier route and turn her life around in time for her children's graduation celebrations. She sought the help of Dr. Younan Nowzaradan, popularly known as Dr. Now, hoping to reduce her weight.

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"I don't really mind" — My 600-lb Life star Karen's daughter on helping her mother

Karen lived in constant fear of losing her life due to her weight, which ultimately led her to develop insomnia. She shared it was difficult to get a good night's sleep since she always had "different thoughts" racing through her head. Her insomnia affected her mentally and physically, pushing her to spiral.

"I worry about the what-if scenarios I've created in my head that haven't even happened, never have happened, but... so, it just kind of feels like I'm living in a nightmare that I've created," she explained.

The My 600-lb Life star revealed that her whole body hurt after she got up from bed each morning. Even lifting the leg to take a step was difficult. Karen explained that it felt like another person weighed down her legs to prevent them from moving. One trip to the bathroom would make her feel dizzy.

Karen said she had to learn to "deal with it" since her hygiene was also important. However, on days she could not climb the flight of stairs, she had to take a sponge bath in a basin in her bedroom.

Once inside the bathroom, Karen had to ask her daughter, Amber, to turn on the shower and put her shower chair inside. Although it upset Karen to ask Amber for help, Amber never hesitated to assist her mother.

"My mother, if she needs something but she can't reach it and doesn't feel like getting up, she'll call me to help get it for her, which she apologizes but I don't really mind, because I'd rather her ask than do things on her own and get herself hurt or in a bad situation," Amber said.

Besides helping the My 600-lb Life star with her shower, Amber also did most of the cooking in the house while her mother oversaw the situation. Amber prepared whatever Karen asked for without raising any questions. Although she knew Karen was a "stress eater," she never pushed her to break away from her eating habits, saying:

"I do think she uses food as a source of comfort but it's just never occurred to me to have a problem with it because when you're anxious, of course, you want your favorite snack, you know? It cheers you up."

Although Karen joined Dr. Now's program to give her life a makeover, she failed to adhere to his diet plan and exercise routine. After losing 52 pounds throughout her time on My 600-lb Life, Karen decided to forgo Dr. Now's help.

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My 600-lb Life Season 13 airs every Wednesday at 8 pm ET only on TLC.