Peter H.

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TheEmergingButterfly 21 years, 5 months ago

I just heard about the passing of Peter Herida. Linda, Peter would be so proud of you!!! He is watching over all his friends, and those, like me he touched via his website and personal communications. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and his friends throughout the WLS community. It is a sad day, but those who were fortunate to be touched by Peter will be blessed with special memories. While I am still waiting for a surgery date, I will always remember how upbeat and inspiring Pete's emails were. I will cherish them all. May Big Pete look down on us all! I miss you Pete, and pray you are at peace!

CHAR R. 21 years, 5 months ago

Dear Peter you are truly gonna be missed thanks for all you did to help me through the process you comforted me and told me like it was I had my surgery on april 30, 2003 thanks to you! I am sorry that God had to take you so soon! you, your friends & family are in my thoughts and prayers until we meet again, you were LOVED.....

Patti D. 21 years, 5 months ago

I was so sorry to hear of Pete's passing. He was truly an inspiring man. I am so glad that he got to live his life to the very end and that his last few years were great for him. Thanks to Linda for being such a wonderful friend all the way to the end. Pete you will be missed but not forgotten.

Lisa M. 21 years, 5 months ago

I am so saddened by the fact that we will not hear from Pete again until we meet him in heaven, but I am thankful that The Lord let us "borrow him" until He called him home. I can't wait to meet him face to face!! We love you, Pete! Our love & prayers are also extended to your loved ones.

Linda A. 21 years, 5 months ago

For anyone that missed the original post about Peter Herida I am re posting it with an update as well. The medical examiners report came back that the cause of death was congestive heart failure. In lieu of flowers the family has requested that donations be made to a fund to help weight loss surgery patients that is being set up in Pete's name. I will post the details soon. Funeral arrangements have not yet been made due to the fact that his family is flying in from outside of the country. I will post details once the arrangements are made. Anyone wishing to send a card can send it in my care to. Linda Almonte 678 Redding Road, Redding, CT 06896. The amount of support that has come in is truly amazing. Pete would be proud. His website address is www.bigpete803.com He also requested a special song to be played at his funeral, thanks to Nikki I was ableto find the song. Here is a link to listen to it. It was very important to him http://www.angelfire.com/ar3/nikkiar/ This is the hardest post I have ever had to write. My good friend and an amazing human being Peter Herida (BigPete803) passed away yesterday. Many of you know him as the guy from Oprah. Peter had an amazing journey. He start out weight was 863 pounds. He was never expected to live through the surgery. In the first 10 months he lost 560 pounds, and ended up losing 608 total. He had been homebound for 20 years because of his weight prior to surgery, he had also been in a wheelchair for 12 years. He got a new lease on life and he embraced it to the fullest over the past few years. I first met Pete at the first support group meeting I attended. Even though it had been 3 years since his surgery he still attended each and every support group meeting. He said that the doctor's there could save a persons life, but he could provide someone with hope. He also worked as a volunteer for the hospital and visited and supported weight loss surgery patients on a regular basis. He has answered tens of thousands of emails over the past few years providing support. He also did many speaking engagement not only to the patient community but also to the medical community to educate them as to the needs of pre and post op patients. When I had my gastric bypass he was there to hold my hand in the recovery room and again when I had my plastic surgery. Over the past few months we have spent a great deal of time together. He became very close to myself and my family. He had become Uncle Pete to my kids. Peter knew that he was dying due to medical condition unrelated to the weight loss surgery. We had several conversations about it. He did not share this information with everyone else he just wanted to live each and every day that he had left to the fullest. He did not want anyone to feel pity for him because he had finally gotten his life back and now he was going to die. He was not bitter or angry. Instead he looked at as he should have died years ago and God had given him a second chance to have a few years to really enjoy life. He had several goals that he wanted to achieve in the little time that he had left. Number one being featured on the Oprah Winfrey show, that became a reality a couple of months ago. Another was a video on weight loss surgery that he just completed, another was his poster of two girls in his pants (he says that he and God had a talk about that one) and he wanted to complete his book "Battle For Survival". He asked my help in achieving these goals. We managed to get just about everything done. The book I have most of the information for and I will do my best to complete it and make him proud. He wanted for the proceeds from these items to be donated to patients that had been successful in losing the weight and are unable to afford the plastic surgery afterwards. I will also work to make sure that this becomes a reality. Over the past few months I have had the privelage of helping Pete get out and do everything that he wanted to. We have been shopping, to carnivals, an aquarium, parks with my kids, etc. He also wanted to attend the ASBS conference in Boston last week. We went and he had the time of his life meeting surgeons and people from the Bariatric community from around the world and telling them his story. After the conference he had one last wish he wanted to go on a cruise to the Bahamas and really live it up. We spent last weekend jetskiing, snorkeing, swimming and just having fun. He knew that his time was getting close and asked me to go to lunch with him on Wednesday. He thanked me and told me "I have lived more in the past eight weeks than I did in the past twenty years" he then gave me a hug and drove away. Those words are forever etched in my memory. That was the last time I saw Peter. On Thursday I tried to call him several times. When there was no answer I drove to his house to check on him. He had passed away at his computer doing what he always did, providing support to one of us. Peter Herida's amazing spirit will forever be alive in my memory as I hope it will be in yours as well.

Debbie R. 21 years, 5 months ago

Wow...to see all of the posts from people who have admired and loved you is amazing. Don't we all wish we could have touched as many lives in such a way as you did. You were truly an amazing gentleman and I am truly thankful for the hope and encouragement you had brought to my life. God Bless you Pete and may his peace hold your friends and loved ones close. Until we meet.....{{{{HUGS}}}}

charanewme 21 years, 5 months ago

To the family of Pete may you find comfort knowing you are held close in the thoughts of those who care. My sincere symathy. Charlene

Mylou52 21 years, 5 months ago

Big Pete will live on through the lives he touched in his journey. God, in His infinite wisdom, knew that Pete was very special and now Heaven is a sweeter place. God bless and strengthen his family and loved ones. Pete will be missed by us all.

xan 21 years, 5 months ago

You were quite an inspiration Pete - seeing you on tv led me to have the surgery. You saved my life, among many more, I'm sure. An angel on earth, now one in heaven.

AmyL 21 years, 5 months ago

Peter, you have been an inspiration to all of us, and you will continue to be! Linda, you are indeed an angel in the truest sense of the word. I am happy that Pete's last days were spent as he wanted them to be.