Icolin Sewell, 61, of Bridgeport, says she’s in a good place now but has spent decades battling a weight problem.

She says she has been chasing after the ideal of her younger self, back in Jamaica. 

Sewell says she did a 180 and was able to take control of her weight when she met Dr. Dana Wade, of Bridgeport – a medical doctor with an MBA who is on a mission to help communities of color overcome weight issues.

Dr. Wade is the founder and CEO of a Bridgeport-based nonprofit called Monitor My Health which helps educate people about living healthier lives through diet, exercise, and managing stress.

Sewell says when she first came into the program she was pre-diabetic, but Monitor My Health helped turn her life around.

 "Monitor My Health is saving people from stress and obesity that can complicate Covid if people are exposed to it,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal who honored the organization Saturday at a church in Bridgeport.

Sewell says the nonprofit has had a positive impact on her life and has no doubt she’ll live a longer and healthier life as a result.