Tonight on 20/20 ` A man swallowed alive. An enormous sinkhole swallows a family's home. One family's nightmare. This man here is gonna have to live the rest of his life seeing himself in that hole and hearing his brother scream his name. You might remember Daniel. He's a different kind of cowboy. Rapping cowboy in town. He's shooting from the lip. RAPS: # This is Rhymestone Cowboy ` rural rapper, girl kidnapper. # And he's taking his message to the country on horseback. Just about to saddle him up, pack him up and ride out, and way down that valley down there into the future. And we meet some folk who are half the people they used to be. I lost 137 pounds. But behind these three smiles, three emotional journeys. www.tvnz.co.nz/access-services Captions were made possible with funding from NZ On Air. Copyright TVNZ Access Services 2013 Kia ora. I'm Sonya Wilson. A sinkhole large enough to swallow a house. It sounds like the plot of a bad movie, but they really do happen. Tonight we hear from the American family who had a loved one ripped right out from underneath them, and meet others who've had lucky escapes. What are sinkholes, and why do they suddenly appear from nowhere? REFLECTIVE MUSIC Welcome to sunny Florida ` the sinkhole capital of the nation; a hole that can bury you financially or bury you forever. An enormous sinkhole swallows a family home. Last week, there was big drama inside this little house. It was 11pm on Faithway Dr, and Jeff Bush was in his bedroom. Without warning, the ground gave way and swallowed the 37-year-old, his furniture, clothes and everything else the sinkhole could fit in its giant mouth. That hole just opened up and swallowed my brother's bed. Jeff Bush's brother Jeremy went into that same darkness and lived to tell about it. I was in that hole myself. I didn't care. The hole was still growing as I was in the hole. Concrete was falling as I was in the hole. I didn't care, I really didn't. This man right here is going to have to live the rest of his life seeing himself in that hole and hearing his brother scream his name. That's his last words. He's calling his brother's name. Jeremy was pulled back to safety by a sheriff's deputy. Just simply seeing the room in that state, the furniture underground, sinking. Just the entire thing. Never, never in my life have I seen anything like that. This is the first time the parents of Jeff Bush have sat down for an interview. They are confused and angered by the actions or rather the perceived inaction of many rescuers. If you're too damn afraid to go in there, let me go in there. You would've done that? You would've done that? Yes, sir. I almost lost two sons. This is a close-knit family. They would not let us go near there. They wouldn't give us an opportunity. You actually saw that hole. Was there any way, you think, that they could have gotten Jeff out? Personally, I don't think he was able to be saved. In a tragedy most adults can't seem to fathom, there is the additional heartbreak as a fragile grandchild tries to comprehend. My little granddaughter, 2 years old. 'Let's go dig Uncle Jeff. Let's go dig up Uncle Jeff. We need to take him home, take him home.' My granddaughter asking that. Fear has taken up residence in the town of Seffner. Experts tested the ground with radars and found the sinkhole was much bigger underground. Other homes could collapse, and the rescuers gave neighbours just minutes to grab their belongings and go. There's no way I'm going back in there. No way you're going in there? No way you're going in there? No way I'm going back in there to live. There was only one option for the sinkhole home. The Bush family watched as a backhoe demolished the structure. We don't have a body to bury, no ashes, nothing. Bush becomes the third sinkhole fatality in Florida. Carla Chapman was barely able to avoid the same fate. In 2011, she fell in a sinkhole in her own backyard, but managed to call 911 from her cell phone. This is sinkhole season in Florida, which coincides with the state's rainy season. So it should come as no surprise that other holes began showing up last week. Sinkholes form when limestone, which is porous, is eaten away by water. The land above it, now without the support of the limestone, can dramatically give way at any moment. To get a loser look at a sinkhole, we went inside one with geologist Anthony Randazzo. Here at the Devils Den scuba-diving resort near Gainesville, people don't fall in a sinkhole, they take the stairs. You're in a major cavern system here. And when you're looking at this, you're saying it's a lot like that Seffner home. Yes. With the surface expression being very small, a diameter of 25ft for the sinkhole, but in the sub-surface much wider, much deeper. Down in this diver's paradise, the terror many associate with sinkholes is replaced by tranquillity. But the question they're asking above ground remains the same. Do you think any recovery effort would have been successful? I think it would have been fruitless, unfortunately. But one man's misery is another man's opportunity. Enter the sinkhole guy. So, Taylor, there's actually sinkhole activity beneath this home? That's correct. It was identified by the engineers that the soils are very unstable below this home. Taylor Yarkosky is a contractor, and during sinkhole season, he's busy, very busy. How many of these do you do each month? We underpin anywhere from 30 to 40 homes in a month, average. The process involves a series of metal rods and a concrete-like mixture that brackets the home to more solid footing. But peace of mind does not come cheap. This process, depending on the size of the home, can range anywhere from $25,000 to $50,000 per home. Experts say a home with a sinkhole problem can lose 80% of its value. Simply because home buyers are afraid buy in the area. Fear is the worst enemy of real estate value. Real estate shark Barbara Corcoran says just the stigma of having a sinkhole in your neighbourhood is enough to drive property values down. It could reduce the value of your home by a third, even 40%, 50%. Back at 240 Faithway Dr, property value is the last thing on the family's mind. While the infamous hole in the ground has been filled, the hole in their collective heart will remain. Love your children. Tell them while they're alive what they really mean to you. You can't do it after they're gone. (SNIFFLES) FORLORN MUSIC Next up on 20/20 we catch up with an old friend of the show ` the Rhymestone Cowboy. Is there pig hunters up here, Sonya? Is there pig hunters up here, Sonya? Not sure if there's many pig hunters in Ponsonby Rd. (LAUGHS) It's been a long and winding road since we last saw the Rhymestone Cowboy on the telly. So, what's happened since then? So, what's happened since then? Well, you guys gave me the platinum name. And then a fair bit of anguish and a struggle, and a fair bit of triumph has happened along the way. a Welcome back. He's one of the more memorable characters we've had on the show in recent years ` a real Kiwi icon in the making ` a fifth-generation high-country shepherd who wanted to become a rapper. It was 2008 when we first met him. His name was Daniel Urquhart, but we dubbed him the Rhymestone Cowboy. So, whatever happened to the young bloke who was part Man From Snowy River, part Eminem? Well, quite a lot, as it turns out. Tonight, 4� years on from our original story, we track down this unlikeliest of hip-hop artists in the unlikeliest of places, and find a Kiwi cowboy who's refusing to give up on his dream. GENTLE COUNTRY MUSIC On land where the stock move in mobs a thousand-strong, we once met a fifth-generation high-country shepherd who wanted to be a rapper,... RAPS: # I ain't from the street. My crowd say moo. So if you down for me, I be down for you. # ...and he wanted to do it on his horse. (RAPS) He called himself MC Dirt. My homies are my dogs and my horse. We named him the Rhymestone Cowboy. (RAPS) Those horses and the hip-hop together, that's what I love. Now, characters like the Rhymestone Cowboy don't come along that often. It almost felt at the time like we'd met the next Barry Crump or Fred Dagg. So, after several queries as to what had become of him, we decided to track him down. STIRRING COWBOY MUSIC And on Auckland's Ponsonby Rd, hang-out of the cool and well-heeled, last month we found him. Hi, Dan. How are ya? Nice to see ya. You're a long way from Methven, then. You're a long way from Methven, then. Yeah. Long way. Yes, the Rhymestone Cowboy is on the road, and tonight he'll perform at Ponsonby's Golden Dawn. Ooh, he's off outside. But while Dan sets up,... I should prove safety. ...gets his horse, Dizzy, acclimatised... Oi. Oi! Get out of that. There. Don't go out. ... and sorts the final set list... What about Weather Man? Is there pig hunters up here, Sonya? Is there pig hunters up here, Sonya? Not sure if there's many pig hunters in Ponsonby Rd. (LAUGHS) ...we're gonna go back a few years, cos it's been a long and winding road since we last saw the Rhymestone Cowboy on the telly. So, what's happened since then? So, what's happened since then? Well, you guys gave me the platinum name. And then a fair bit of anguish and struggle and a fair bit of triumph has happened along the way. Yep, Dan's been through some tough times ` lost his job, lost weight, even lost a home-built studio and his partly recorded album in the Christchurch earthquake. So, where were you at at your lowest, or your poorest point? So, where were you at at your lowest, or your poorest point? Sleeping in my truck. (CHUCKLES) On the side of a river, wondering what the hell just happened. I'd led a life of luxury up until then. BOTH CHUCKLE So then what? What changed? What happened? > Uh, just I was down to my last 10 bucks. Put that in the paper, and from there I got a client. And the client's neighbours, and the neighbour's neighbours, and then the street. Then a block, and... (CHUCKLES) All of a sudden I'd worked the horses all over the South Island within a year. So it was obviously destiny taking its road, or course. It seems destiny wanted Dan to become a professional horse trainer. His company is called Rhymestone Horses. If you want a horse broken in or sorted out, Dan's your man. Whenever they start looking into you, that means they're going more positive-minded. How do you figure that? How do you figure that? Cos they want to kill you with their back feet. They want to look at you and try and work things out with their eyes. The oldest rule in the book is better to have two eyes than two feet. That's how I figure. Been kicked enough to know to get their eyes to look at ya. (CHUCKLES) And has he got a special kind of way with horses, do you think? And has he got a special kind of way with horses, do you think? Yeah, I think he has. Does it come as a surprise to you that he's also a rapping`? Does it come as a surprise to you that he's also a rapping`? Yeah! (LAUGHS) I thought that` I thought that part was really good. Um, you know, I'd like to be able to ride a horse down the main street singing or something. (LAUGHS) You know, but to ride into pubs and things with a horse is quite amazing. So, seems like a pretty sweet job and all, but the thing is, hip-hop is still this cowboy's great love. And despite many knockbacks, it's a dream he's refused to give up. And we are rolling. RAPS: # This is Rhymestone Cowboy, rural rapper, girl kidnapper. # An old bandmate of mine, Beth Campbell from Atlas, she told me about this guy. 'Gotta check out this guy. I've heard nothing like it before, you know.' And she was right, you know? I never had. And, um, that brought us together, just because he gave my friend's horse a pedicure. # No one's shit could hold us down. Thankfully destiny had cantered past again and wanted her nails trimmed, leading Dan to the recording studio of Andy Lynch. (RAPS) Such an... individual brand of hip-hop, you know? It's real Kiwiana. The main one is trying to represent what you are, like, that's a hip-hop artist 100%. You just` You can only write your life into a song. # Grab a beer and roll a joint. Live life on edge and stay on point. # Turn the music up, keep the neighbours annoyed. # Middle finger the boss. Today, enjoy. # Now, when you finish an album, you need to tour it. You know, tour bus, aeroplanes, booking manager... Not this cowboy. And this is where Dan's story gets epic. TAPE REWINDS Just about to saddle him up, pack him up and ride out and away down that valley down there into the future. Last November he began his tour travelling up the South Island on horseback. Not because he was trying to live up to his own alter ego, but because he'd lost his truck and couldn't afford to do it any other way. The logistics were pretty simple. Uh, find a group of horses and some people keen enough to jump on 'em, and start. Beginning in a wool shed in Southland, he ventured from pub to pub... (CHATS) ...riding on adrenalin, his horse, Dizzy, and sheer blind luck. And in his posse, an old flatmate who couldn't ride,... Lean on him. > But he had the right character and attitude, and that's all that matters. And a cameraman Dan found who was prepared to shoot a music video for him on the way. He couldn't ride either. They'd rode for probably an hour, all up. Oh, whole hour (!) Sorry, right. Oh, whole hour (!) Sorry, right. For both of them, yeah. (CHUCKLES) They were trained. And $50,000 worth of camera equipment. And $50,000 worth of camera equipment. $50,000, yeah. Cross your fingers and hope it all goes good. (CHUCKLES) And I'm sure it all went completely smoothly. > And I'm sure it all went completely smoothly. > Oh, yeah. 100%. (LAUGHS) Paul's scared of horses. Been rubbed pretty raw, yeah. Been rubbed pretty raw, yeah. You've got moisturiser on your legs now, though, Paul. Filling up, uh, Tequila. Destiny would have been worried about now. Had a, uh, gun as I came off a bucking horse, obviously hit me somewhere around the face region. So you've still got a bit of a scar. So you've still got a bit of a scar. Yeah, yeah, think it's for life now. Love bite. (CHUCKLES) Look at that. GWENTLE COUNTRY MUSIC Doesn't get any better than this. Go to your left a bit, straight up that hill. And did you know where you were going? And did you know where you were going? Yeah. North. Did you have, 'Oh, OK, we're vaguely going that way'? > We were going north, and that was all that mattered. Yesterday it was about 25 degrees, sunny. Look what the night brung. Little bit of snow, eh? Echo's sprouting, uh, one of the coolest-looking beards. You can't buy them in Ponsonby Rd, Auckland. GUNSHOT Tomorrow, my cowboy mate ` the Rhymestone Cowboy ` is gonna play a gig in Wanaka. So, yeah, looking forward to that. RAPS: # So grab a beer and roll a joint. Live life on the edge and stay on point. # Turn the music up, keep the neighbours annoyed. # Middle finger the boss. Today, enjoy. # Cos you live for the moment like the moment now. # And no one's shit could hold us down. # Cos you live for the moment like the moment now. # ALL ROAR It's taken us two days to go about 5 K on our horses. We've been shooting video clips along the way. Yeah, they couldn't afford to hire a studio either, so... So up into the mountains you went. So up into the mountains you went. Yeah. That's my studio. And it was for a very unique song, you know, so that` that song is about as Kiwiana and is as true to my soul as any song we ever get. His first single, this one, is called Summer, Come on Round. Less rap than all his others, as it happens, more country tale. SINGS: Summer, won't you come on round. # Summer, won't you come on down. # Five generations and my blood pumped through it for the high country. So to be in the high country on my horses doing whatever ` could be hunting, could be shooting a video ` doesn't matter. I don't care, as long as I'm in there. As good as it gets, for me. That's my heaven. Are the rest of us missing out? Are the rest of us missing out? Yeah. (CHUCKLES) Definitely. When the Rhymestone Cowboy hit the North Island, he used more... conventional methods of travelling. Mostly. Hello. So exciting when I saw you were on tonight. Cowboy in town? Cowboy in town? Rapping cowboy in town. Cowboy in town? Rapping cowboy in town. Oh, rapping cowboy in town. But ever tried to convince a bar to let you ride your horse into it? It wasn't always easy going. With the Golden Dawn, I wanted to do something different, and, um, this pretty much qualified as the most different thing I could imagine. So... And did you have to try and get it past someone else, like, 'Hey, we wanna get a horse in the bar'? Nah. Just measure the gate. It was all good. How the hell are we going tonight? How the hell are we going tonight? CHEERING RAPS: # Rhyme of a cowboy ` put them horses out, boy. # Cowboy up, cowboy. Your rapper gets hell, boy. # Bucking like he's down, boy. Bobbing off the ground, boy. # I'm throwin' in the towel, boy. Make your mother proud, boy. # So, where does all that determination come from? > Just that... Well, farming. (CHUCKLES) It's the environment I grew up in, and you're not allowed to be gutless on farms. The gutless ones get washed down the river, you know. The gutless ones are gone. So anyone that's still got farms and is farming is a very tough, persistent type of character. Don't run anywhere, buddy. Now, having a horse as your co-star can also be challenging. This is the ergonomically designed shit catcher. Any fertiliser, Sonya? Especially in, say, central Auckland. But all you really need is a good sense of direction... Gidday, Jess, how ya going? ...and a sister with a backyard. So, he's well and truly used to backyards now, Sonya. He's been invited to every backyard in NZ, just about. Even better if it's close to a suburban beach. JAZZY MUSIC Does it look like Baywatch? 'BAYWATCH' THEME Dan's had both his sister and brother by his side in the north; both suburban Aucklanders now. His brother, Gerald ` yes, he is that guy from Shortland St ` has been playing DJ. You tell people, 'My brother's a rapping cowboy, but not in a comedic way. But it is still funny. 'But, you know, he's an actual cowboy, and he's an actual rapper. 'And he just happens to do both at the same time in a pub, on a horse.' He's doing what makes him truly happy, and there's not many people who can actually say that. This is dedicated to my sister, Jess, and my brother, Gerald. RAPS: # Hey, Jess, last night you sent me a text asking if her mother was stressed. # You seem to me like a bloke who's collecting really good stories to tell their grandkids. Is that a fair enough assessment? Are you, sort of, in the business of collecting adventures? Well, I do` I do like that summary. I think you said` called me 'adventure collector'. That's` That'd be a good thing to have on your tombstone, wouldn't it? RAPS: # Pop your head above the rubble, look. Find it's stopped. # He once was a farmer, now he grow hip-hop. # Keep on... # chasing. Nah, there's nothing more better for your heart and soul and setting your spirit free than a good old adventure with a bit of life and death situations thrown in. Yeah, it's neat. # Keep on... # chasing. # Oh, good on you, Dan. Uh, now, if you wanna help a poor cowboy out, go and buy his album. It's out on iTunes as of last week. Just search for the Rhymestone Cowboy. We'll also put a link up to his website on our Facebook page. Next up on 20/20 ` three people who've turned their lives around and are half the size they once were. But behind these three smiles, three emotional journeys ` journeys that began back when they looked like this. I hated who I saw in the mirror. I feel like I'd pretty much given up on myself. Getting bullied, picked on and not feel like a human. Whoa. That tells the story right there. Either way, I'm thinking they don't have a lot of spare time to get their loan, right? That's why ANZ has more home-loan specialists than any other bank, and they'll come to you. Ah, what's this? A little discussion. Two entrenched views. A real-estate website. Oh, he wants a new home. Ah, but she has some ideas about renovating. Either way, I'm thinking they don't have a lot of spare time to get their loan, right? That's why ANZ has more home-loan specialists than any other bank, and they'll come to you. My money's on the renovation. a Welcome back. They are practically shadows of their former selves. Tonight we profile three people who've lost half their body weight through diet and exercise. 20/20 looks back on their individual journeys to get an understanding of what it took to drop the weight and the baggage that went with it. Big smile now! It's a high-profile photo shoot,... Love it. ...with lighting,... It looks amazing. ...make-up,... This is more make-up than I've ever worn. ...hair. Let's really make the hair as beautiful as we want. Let's really make the hair as beautiful as we want. Yes. High-five. But these models aren't just showing off clothes. They're revealing their new bodies for People Magazine's annual Half Their Size issue. And just last year there was a whole lot more of each of them. I lost 137 pounds. And I've lost 125 pounds. I lost 242 pounds. 504 pounds among them. One common thread among all of our candidates is they found the right moment themselves to make those changes. But behind these three smiles, three emotional journeys. Journeys that began back when they looked like this. I hated who I saw in the mirror. I feel like I'd pretty much given up on myself. Getting bullied, picked on and not feel like you're human. Whoa. That tells the story right there. Can you believe that you fit into these? I can't. And I was actually squeezing in these. So I look at you now ` this fit guy ` and then I look at this photo. Who is this guy? A guy with a lot of pain. A lot of pain. A lot of demons. I don't even know who he is. I lo... I lost him. WOMAN: Can you give me a sm`? Just a half a smile? MAN: Hey, Richard. I grew up overweight my whole life. I would eat away a lot of my pain at night. I would just binge eat and binge eat and binge eat, and I couldn't stop. Of course, every morning I would have a pound of bacon, four to six biscuits, a dozen of eggs. So this was breakfast? So this was breakfast? That was breakfast. Before we'd leave, we'd actually have a snack, and I would get four double cheeseburgers. we'd actually have a snack, and I would get four double cheeseburgers. This was a snack? This was a snack. By 25, Richard's weight had ballooned to 426 pounds ` morbidly obese. His home scale couldn't even register his weight. Even the simplest tasks were a challenge. I couldn't bend over and clip my toenails. Most concerning? Two years of failed attempts to start a family with his wife. There was two things that the doctor told me ` that I would not live to see 30, and that I would never be able to have kids if I didn't choose to change my life. While I was in the doctor's office,... I went ahead and planned my suicide. You were gonna take your life? Really? I didn't` I didn't wanna live any more, because I was tired of being in pain. The only thing... I didn't want my wife to walk in and see me that way. That's the only thing that stopped me. A terrifying moment of truth. Richard knew he now had to take charge of his health. A friend lent him an exercise DVD, P90X. Reluctantly, Richard gave it a try. Every day he'd sweat his way through an intense 60-minute programme. Suddenly motivated, he began cutting back on his huge portions. And as the weight melted off, Richard's resolve hardened. I would put my whole life on Facebook, so that way I'm holding myself accountable to the world. 18 months later, Richard was half his size. There it is ` 184.8. The best reward? The birth of his son, Brady. I remember holding him in my arms. That was a miracle, really, that it happened. That was a miracle, really, that it happened. It was a miracle. So, you're active like this every day? So, you're active like this every day? Yes. This is normal for me. Wow. Amazing from a man who once thought exercise was a four-letter word. Richard's committed to inspiring others, coaching fit clubs,... Here we go! ...supporting those determined to follow in his footsteps. I just wanna say each one of you all have a very special place in my heart. I do wanna say that. Like Richard, Ashley Donahoo's body was also once breaking down. I had major depression, liver disease, high blood pressure, chronic migraines. My doctor told me he didn't think I was gonna make it to 30. A 27-year-old mom of two, her journey to health began literally with a single step. My husband, he saw how unhappy I was, and he came to me and said, 'We're gonna go for a walk.' I said, 'No, we're not.' But her husband wouldn't take no for an answer. My back was killing me. My feet were killing me. I just started, like, crying in the middle of the street. By the time I got home, my tears were dried and I had a resolve to change. Those walks eventually turned into runs, and Ashley started using an online food journal, discovering lower-fat, lower-calorie options. Every time I made one change, I'd get used to it and then I'd make another. Small things start to add up. Within 20 months she'd dropped 137 pounds. And all those health issues? Gone. What's the sweetest part ` pardon the expression ` about losing this kind of weight? My eldest gives me a hug, and he goes, 'Mommy, I can reach my hands all the way around you.' And I was just, like, tears, you know, immediately. Ding-dong. Ding-dong. Leah Fernandez also started making changes with her husband TJ's help. Like Ashley and so many others, she'd packed on the pounds after motherhood. I tended to be an emotional eater. I tended to be an emotional eater. What changed? My husband and I were at lunch one afternoon, and he looked me straight in the eyes and he said, 'Listen, I love you for who you are, but you are not happy with you.' Leah decided to follow family members who had had success using Jenny Craig, focusing on portion control. I haven't looked back ever since that day. The fire was lit inside, and it's... it's still going. And she discovered a passion for running. This past May she ran a 5 K with her husband, TJ. As soon as I slowed down, he was, like, 'No. You get to that finish line.' Like, he wanted that so bad for me. But that high would be followed by an unimaginable low. The next morning, tragedy. Her husband ` her rock ` was killed in a motorcycle accident. He was sharing this crowning moment with you, and then to lose him like that... I mean, people ask me, 'How do you continue?' How do you? How do you? That race moment is a big one for me, because I know that my husband would want nothing more for me than to continue to finish this. Some people would have converted back to eating. How do you resist that? No amount of food or any kind of food is worth it to me to go back to where I was. Richard is just as determined, though he admits it's a constant battle. Every day I fight and fight. You're still struggling against this food addiction. I still fight it every day. Yes, ma'am. I still fight it every day. Yes, ma'am. Are you where you want to be? I am. 'Course, you know, I do have excess skin. That is going to be a reminder to me every single day of a life that I'm not going back to. Battle scars. Battle scars. Yes, battle scars. And, of course, there's that other reminder on news stands now ` big success stories that could offer a little motivation to anyone with a New Year's resolution. Coming up ` she had her own reality show following her weight-loss journey, but what went wrong? And what became of Ruby? What are all these? With the show came counsellors, a nutrition plan, trainers,... Time to work out, right? ...many trainers ` all working toward one number ` 250 pounds. (GROANS) We started seeing some changes in Ruby, definitely in the fourth season. A lot more emotional stuff was coming out. She didn't know how to deal with it. a Hi again. For four seasons, Ruby Gettinger was the star of the hit docu-drama 'Ruby' on the Style network. The show followed her every move as she struggled to go from more than 300kg to 113kg. But she never reached her goal weight and even gained the weight back. Her show was cancelled, leaving fans wondering what happened. Ruby reveals why and how she sabotaged her weight loss and what she's doing now to turn her life around. PEOPLE CHEER, SCALES BEEP Oh my God! John, congratulations, you've done it. Ever dream of landing a reality show to make your weight-loss dreams come true? You keep letting go, Tony. Surely having the resources handed to you would do the trick? Well, meet Ruby Gettinger. For her, this dream became a reality ` literally. For four seasons, hundreds of thousands of viewers tuned into her show each week as she went from this... to this. Ruby wasn't just plus-sized. She was morbidly obese. It's not a childhood dream that I dreamed. 'Let me be the biggest woman in the world.' For her, shedding the pounds was not just to fit into a pair of jeans. (GROANS) I do not know how girls do it. It was about riding a bike, swimming, driving a car. There's no way that seat belt's gonna fit. Are you crazy? Even fitting into a bathtub was a struggle. When I get down low enough to get into a bubble bath, I'm gonna be the happiest girl in the whole USA. But her accomplishments did not stop at the scale, as she was launched into super stardom. Please welcome Ruby to the show. Regis and Kelly, Dr Oz and even Oprah all came calling,... So how are you losing the weight? What are you doing? ...making Ruby the face of obesity. How excited were you to get started? When it first started, I was scared. I sat there going, 'How will they understand what this is about?' Never knowing the impact it was gonna happen. So, what are all these? With the show came counsellors, a nutrition plan, trainers. Time to work out, right? Many trainers, all working toward one number ` 250 pounds. But secretly, off camera, her goal was dramatically different. I will be honest with you. And I never, ever said this. But in my head, my goal was 128. I wanted to be so thin that someone would look at me and say, 'Are you anorexic?' But after season one, she was 373, almost 130 pounds less than where she began. With season two underway, she hit a new low ` 357. At the start of season three, Ruby was arguably one of the most documented stories of obesity in America, fighting the fat and winning. I could not believe that here I am ` I was at 328. I can't imagine that life cos I don't even know what that feels like, cos I've never been under 300. While the show brought on a celebrity high, the pressure to keep losing was bringing her down. 347.6. I don't like this scale. We started seeing some changes in Ruby, definitely in the fourth season. A lot more emotional stuff was coming out. She didn't know how to deal with it. I didn't realise this was such an addiction. Tennie McCarty, a counsellor on the show and author of Shades of Hope, knows all too well. It's not what we're eating, but what's eating at us. Compare food addiction to other addictions we all know about. Alcoholism, drug addiction, nicotine addiction, you can live the rest of your life and never have to use the substance again. Food is everywhere, and you have to eat? Food is everywhere, and you have to eat? Absolutely. Ruby was spiralling out of control. I feel like it became about a number. I literally did not eat for four days because I knew I had to weigh. Then after I weigh, I would binge eat. And those tools she was given to make working out convenient? When I was in a bad place, I didn't use them at all. I literally would get a wash cloth and dust them off. I didn't want people to think she's not using her equipment. But the numbers wouldn't lie, so Ruby found a way to deceive the show and the scale. I could figure out a way to lean. I could make 28 to 30 pounds difference. A 30-pound difference? But what was crazy is that the number on the scale, guess who believed it? You. That's the sickness. I almost got excited as people are bragging about the number; that I have convinced myself that is the number too. Quickly they were on to her tricks and tried everything they could to keep her motivated. The network would propose certain things. Like, they sent her to a weight-loss camp for a couple of weeks. In the end, show producers lost patience with Ruby's weight gain. Ruby was cancelled, leaving fans wondering what happened. What did they say? Nothing. They said, 'We love you.' You know, 'We're just not gonna continue the show.' What do you think is the reason? What do you think is the reason? My personal belief is because I gained weight. Do you blame yourself for the show? Do you blame yourself for the show? Oh yes, because I feel like I've let so many people down. Shortly after the show was cancelled, Ruby lost her brother, giving her more reasons to eat. I didn't want to come out of this room at all. I ate everything in the bed. I literally lived in bed. Her weight continued to climb. She gained 50 pounds, now back up to almost 400. I woke up with, like, 'This is it. 'I'm doin' this. I gotta finish this for me.' Desperate to lose the weight and with no money, she turned to her former trainers for help. I went to Shazi and said, 'I'm really serious this time. I can't afford to pay.' If you don't, I understand; I wasn't consistent. I said, 'Of course. I'm here for you no matter what.' PANTING Now back in the gym regularly, no cameras, no show, she is eating right. With the help of her 90-day challenge, she has worked her way back down to 360 pounds. Today, she won't share a goal weight in fear of giving the numbers power. Through this journey she discovered something real about reality. Did you want the easy fix? It's hard. If you do the easy fix, look what it did. It explodes in your face. The hard road is the best road. And just in the past two months, I have never worked out as hard as I have worked out, been so strict, been so consistent. Hard work that might finally get her under 300 pounds. Next up on 20/20 ` just who does this kid think he is? The teenager caught pretending to be a local physician assistant. An imposter in the Emergency Room. August, 2011, Matthew Scheidt, fresh-faced young man, reports for duty in the ER. He actually administered CPR? He actually administered CPR? Yes, he actually administered CPR to one patient. a Welcome back. We would all like to be someone else sometimes, but Matthew Scheidt went one step further, posing as a doctor and even a police officer. At just 17, Matthew is what you might call the great pretender. DEVIOUS MUSIC A case crazy enough to be a movie if the movie hadn't already been made. Catch Me If You Can with Leonardo DiCaprio playing a chameleon conman pretending to be, among many other things, a doctor. Dr Harris. Dr Harris. Yes? Dr Harris. Yes? Do you concur? The real story of a faker in a hospital happened in Osceola Regional Medical Center in Kissimmee, Florida. A teenager caught pretending to be a local physician assistant. An imposter in the emergency room. August 2011, Matthew Scheidt, a fresh-faced young man reports for duty in the ER in scrubs, stethoscope and a badge identifying him as a PA ` a physician assistant ` as close as you can come to being a doctor without an MD. Do you know if they're hiring here at the hospital? Do you know if they're hiring here at the hospital? What do you wanna do? I'm a doctor. Like DiCaprio in the movie, Scheidt oozes confidence. He's kind of charming. He's kind of charming. He is charming. He is. He's very charming. Unlike DiCaprio's character, who gets queasy in the emergency room, Scheidt is drawn to the action. He performed procedures on patients. Reporter Nancy Alvarez, with Channel Nine in Orlando. This kid touched patients. This kid held a child who was getting stitches. He actually administered CPR. He actually administered CPR. Yes, he actually administered CPR to one patient. But apparently unsatisfied, Scheidt demands more privileges. He kept on going back to human resources saying, 'I need the access, I need the access.' That's when they're, like, 'He's not even a physician assistant or a student.' I appreciate you coming down, I do. Scheidt talks his way from the emergency room right into a police interrogation room. I don't sign off on anything. I just did the circling. So confident he can talk his way out of anything, Scheidt waives his right to a lawyer and begins to tell his tale. He said, 'What do you think it is?' Then I told him it could be kidney stones, could be kidney infection, could be UTI. He just was talking, talking, talking and talking. I had an interest and still somewhat have an interest in the medical field. An interest? Yes. A licence, no. In the movie, DiCaprio's make-believe medical expertise comes from TV. Do you concur? Do you concur? I concur. Nowadays, yep, there's an app for that. Scheidt's knowledge came from smartphone games. Like Speed Anatomy and stuff like that so I could learn the anatomy and stuff. But the seriousness of his masquerade is soon apparent. One of the techs had to run out of the room to go get something, and I was told to take over CPR by a physician. There's no evidence it was his fault, but that elderly patient he did CPR on, she died the next day. Then an eye-popping, jaw-dropping revelation. Scheidt unwittingly unmasks himself as a serial imposter. A 'catch me if you can' career that began, authorities say, with Scheidt posing as a nurse at another Florida hospital, when he was just 13. I did that a long time ago. Like, when I volunteered there, I shadowed a doctor. The interrogation ends, Scheidt is charged, and posts bail. But then, something inexplicable. He was picked up in Miami, now as an imposter of a police officer? Police say Scheidt is packing a badge, taser and a loaded pistol. Miami beach cops arrested Scheidt after he pulled up next to an officer in a white Crown Vic and told him to buckle his seat belt. Pulled up next to a real cop with all the confidence of a real cop, but he's just a kid pretending to be one. Back in Orlando, August 2012. He goes on trial for practising medicine without a licence and impersonating a physician assistant. I was sitting just a few feet away from him and there were tears in his eyes, and he looked petrified. And I felt for him for a moment, and then I wondered, 'Hmm.' Could this be real? Because... Could he be performing again? We find the defendant guilty of impersonating a physician's assistant as charged. Convicted on four felony charges, he would serve a year in jail. Whatever the rest of his life holds, he will likely never be a real physician and certainly not a real police officer. No, I doubt it. If you wanna see any of tonight's stories again, head to our website... You can also email us... Or go to our Facebook page. And let us know your thoughts on tonight's show. Well, thanks for all your feedback over the past week. We're interested in your stories, as always, so keep those ideas coming in. That's our show for tonight. Thanks for joining us. We'll see you next week.