National Initiative for Eating Disorders
Donation protected
"Eating Disorders Kill...but they don't have to". Many of you know I have been batteling with an eating disorder for 14 years. There is nothing my parents didn't do to help me. Out of sheer frustration and anger toward the health system/lack of eating disorder treatment across Canada, my heroic mom Wendy Preskow declared "I want to do for eating disorders what Terry Fox did for cancer" - that is to spread awareness and educate the nation. Eating disorders are barely on the radar in this crazy "health care" system - ED's are nearly disregarded and yet have long since remained THE NUMBER ONE KILLER OF ALL MENTAL ILLNESS'S.
I burst with pride to declare that my mom is the founder of the National Initiative for Eating Disorders (NIED). Over the past 2 years the NIED team has touched thousands of lives with monthly free symposiums,countless hours talking to frantic parent, 3 trips to Ottawa where the NIED took over Parliment Hill to let it be known that eating disorders are just as deadly as cancer and therefor the government "NIEDS" to step up and listen. Then act. Fast.There needs to be a national strategy to tackle eating disorders as fiercely as any disease. Canada needs to follow the steps the US has traced to make treatment centers and eating disorder support widely available to all sufferers: children, adults, females and males.
Fact: there are 4,100 Psychiatrists in Canada. Only 12 specialize in eating disorders. TWELVE!
Fact: Across Ontario there are only TWENTY adult inpatient hospital beds for eating disorders. There are hundreds and thousands of sufferers. The waiting lists to get into one of these 20 beds are atrocious. People die waiting for help.
NIED is a not-for-profit organization that is running on "love and fresh air". Which means my parents pay out of pocket for monthly symposiums, trips back to Parliment Hill in Ottawa, and willingly driving anywhere to do Eating Disorder talks and panels for schools, Universities, other organizations, etc. My mom works above and beyond 40 hours a week doing work for NIED. It is her full time job and she doesn't get paid for any of it. To her, the reward of helping families effected by eating disorders is payment enough.Thats how devoted, passionate and tireless she is.
Any donation to NIED would be so appreciate to enable NIED to continue educating, supporting, and spreading awareness across the country.
xoxoxo Amy xoxoxox
I burst with pride to declare that my mom is the founder of the National Initiative for Eating Disorders (NIED). Over the past 2 years the NIED team has touched thousands of lives with monthly free symposiums,countless hours talking to frantic parent, 3 trips to Ottawa where the NIED took over Parliment Hill to let it be known that eating disorders are just as deadly as cancer and therefor the government "NIEDS" to step up and listen. Then act. Fast.There needs to be a national strategy to tackle eating disorders as fiercely as any disease. Canada needs to follow the steps the US has traced to make treatment centers and eating disorder support widely available to all sufferers: children, adults, females and males.
Fact: there are 4,100 Psychiatrists in Canada. Only 12 specialize in eating disorders. TWELVE!
Fact: Across Ontario there are only TWENTY adult inpatient hospital beds for eating disorders. There are hundreds and thousands of sufferers. The waiting lists to get into one of these 20 beds are atrocious. People die waiting for help.
NIED is a not-for-profit organization that is running on "love and fresh air". Which means my parents pay out of pocket for monthly symposiums, trips back to Parliment Hill in Ottawa, and willingly driving anywhere to do Eating Disorder talks and panels for schools, Universities, other organizations, etc. My mom works above and beyond 40 hours a week doing work for NIED. It is her full time job and she doesn't get paid for any of it. To her, the reward of helping families effected by eating disorders is payment enough.Thats how devoted, passionate and tireless she is.
Any donation to NIED would be so appreciate to enable NIED to continue educating, supporting, and spreading awareness across the country.
xoxoxo Amy xoxoxox
Organizer
Amy Preskow
Organizer
North York, ON
