Caitlin's Anorexia Recovery: a plea for help

My name is Caitlin, and I'm urgently fundraising to continue life-saving anorexia treatment that's not available to me on the NHS. Please take a moment to pause and read — your compassion could quite literally save my life.

I've attached two photos of me: one of them is glowing and happy, a girl who loved to travel, write poems, and share her smile with the world. The other shows a much sadder reality: a girl surviving day by day, trapped in emptiness, hunger, and mental torment. She can barely leave the house or maintain relationships, leaving her isolated in the grip of a cruel and devastating illness.

I've battled an eating disorder for over 10 years. In that time, I've encountered many barriers in the system — as someone with autism, suitable support has always been very difficult to find, meaning my condition spiralled out of control. But now, for the first time, I've found hope.

On March 17th, 2025, I was admitted to Orri, a specialist daypatient programme offering full-time remote treatment. It provides the intensity of a hospital admission while allowing me to stay in my own home — which is an essential part of my recovery. Programmes like this are very rare in the UK, and for the first time, I feel truly safe and supported.

But I'm scared. My insurance only covers a limited number of days and once that runs out, I may be left with no support. After a decade of waiting, I'm desperate not to let this chance slip through my fingers. I want to live a life free from this illness — to enjoy the simple joys most people take for granted.

Every £450 funds one full day of care, so a 6 week block of treatment costs around £15,000. All donations will go directly towards continuing my treatment with Orri. This includes: safe weight restoration, medical supervision, refeeding syndrome prevention, and critical mental health care that can help me stay recovered for the rest of my life.

Your help and generosity today will bring me closer to finally leaving this awful illness behind me. All I want is to give that smiling girl her life back. It's been incredibly hard so far, but I'm starting to feel her presence again. She's still here, fighting for her freedom.

If you've read this far, kind stranger, then I appreciate your consideration today — truly. Please donate what you can. And if you can't, just sharing this fundraiser could make all the difference.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart,

Caitlin x