Emergency Fund for Eating Disorder Recovery

Battling a chronic eating disorder for the past 20 years has helped develop my resilience and tenacity, but it has also resulted in a number of stays at residential and inpatient eating disorder treatment centers. This April, I was blindsided when a stomach flu and an emerging eating disorder relapse resulted in a trip to the emergency room, followed by numerous weeks in inpatient eating disorder treatment.

However, my tenuous financial situation hasn't provided me with the resources to cover my increasing medical, food, and living expenses, compounded by a $2,000 bill owed to UCLA Medical Center for my ER visit and $8,000 that I paid out-of-pocket to the eating disorder treatment facility (even with insurance) which decimated my savings.

Food insecurity is one of the largest causes of relapse for patients with restrictive eating disorders. I am also paying out of pocket for an eating disorders specialist and dietitian, which is expensive but necessary, leading to further medical debt.

As a result, this GoFundMe is being established as an emergency fund to cover the most basic and essential living and medical expenses to keep me functioning. I unfortunately had to pay a significant out-of-pocket cost for inpatient eating disorder treatment in the hospital, even with my health insurance, and my savings account is drained.

Every contribution helps! Thank you so much.