Support for Carly's ARFID Treatment

Our sweet, funny Carly Bryan is facing a long journey of recovery from a rare eating disorder called ARFID, and the Bryan family needs support. Angie and Carly had to relocate to San Diego in November so that Carly could get specialized emergency treatment for this serious condition. Carly is continuing to receive care in San Diego from experts in pediatric ARFID, and the Bryans need help with the unexpected costs.

On November 28th, Carly was hospitalized at the Medical Behavioral Unit at Rady Children’s Hospital where she was officially diagnosed with ARFID, which stands for Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder. It is a rare eating disorder that is not related to body image or weight concerns. It is connected to Carly’s history of gastrointestinal problems as well as OCD and anxiety. Essentially, Carly developed a fear of eating and drinking so severe that it led to involuntary starvation and dehydration. She was placed on a naso-gastric feeding tube because her weight and nutritional intake were so low that her entire body was being impacted and she was at risk for serious medical complications.

Angie and Carly have been in San Diego since November, while Jessie has stayed in Goleta with Ivy. It has been very difficult for the family to be separated, but relocating was necessary in order for Carly to receive the best care. There are very few places that treat pediatric ARFID in the country, and Rady/UC San Diego are nationally known experts. Carly is now medically stable and is receiving amazing care at UCSD’s partial hospitalization program. She is making great progress in her treatment but has a long journey of recovery still ahead. Parents are highly involved in the UCSD program, and Jessie and Angie are getting excellent support and training so that they can care for Carly when she returns home.

The Bryans are grateful to have health insurance that has paid for the majority of Carly’s treatment in San Diego (although not without a fight). Any funds contributed to this GoFundMe will help cover the cost of housing in San Diego for the duration of Carly’s treatment, travel costs for Jessie and Ivy to visit, any out of pocket medical costs, and family expenses so that Angie can continue to take leave from work to care for Carly (Angie’s paid family medical leave ends on February 27th).

It is difficult for them to ask for help, but if you know the Bryans, you know that they are always willing to help others and go above and beyond to volunteer in their community, and now they need to lean on their community for support.

We want Carly to recover and be her awesome self again, and for the whole Bryan family to feel supported on the journey to full recovery.

Learn more about ARFID here: https://www.allianceforeatingdisorders.com/avoidant-restrictive-food-intake-disorder-arfid/