Photo: TLC and Megalomedia

Doctors warned Billy's parents that if drastic measures weren't taken, their son wouldn't live to see his 20th birthday. Together, they decided he needed surgery to remove the front part of his stomach—nearly 70 pounds of his abdomen. "This operation is aimed to improve his posture and his ability to walk and breathe," Dr. Younan Nowzaradanno says.

When Billy arrived at the hospital, doctors found that his heart and lungs were overworked. Before they could operate, Billy had to spend 30 days in the hospital on a strict diet .

Billy came through the surgery, but the next 72 hours were critical. Things turned serious when doctors discover a blood clot developed in Billy's leg. Doctors must operate again to prevent it from traveling to his heart or lungs. "This has been a big old emotional roller coaster," Barbara says. "He's what I live and breathe for. And if he dies, I'd just jump in the coffin with him."