Thornhill Lees mum dropped six dress sizes after daughter’s cancer battle

She had no self confidence and shied away from the camera.

But seeing her daughter, Isla, battle kidney cancer made her realise just how important snaps of special moments were.

Victoria, 35, said: “I thought if anything happened to Isla I would have no pictures with her. It would like we’d shared no family holidays or Christmases.”

In April, three-year-old Isla got the all clear and Victoria joined Thornhill Lees’ Slimming World with her brother.

She has dropped from 12st 5lb to 9st 1lb, smashing her initial target weight of 10st and dropping to a size 8/10 from an 18.

The mum-of-two was also voted Miss Slinky by fellow members of the club.

Victoria, of Slaithwaite Road, said: “I couldn’t believe people had voted for me. It felt like I’d won Miss World or something.”

Sarah Marsden, who runs the slimming group, said she was thrilled with Victoria’s success.

“It took her 25 weeks to lose three stone. She’s just embraced the plan,” she said. “She’s now living her life rather than going through the motions.”

Victoria said she feels more alive, active and happy than she did eight months ago.

“You feel really light and like you’ve got loads of energy,” she said. “I feel better in myself, I make more time for myself and I make more of an effort.”

And Victoria, who is also mum to Eden, five, has made the most of her new look.

Instead of staying home this Christmas she has been celebrating with friends and is planning her wedding to fiancé, James Jackson.

Friends and cousins are also following in Victoria’s footsteps and have joined the club.

“It’s great because I think that hopefully they will start feeling like me,” she said.