Help best friend battling bulimia
Donation protected
What would you do if you found out that one of your closest friends had been battling eating disorders for 17 years and the best chance she would have at recovery entailed a costly and intense journey through private care, a journey that no one would be financially prepared for?
Before I tell you, here are some facts that most people do not know about eating disorders...
• Approximately 1.25 million people in the UK have an eating disorder
• Studies indicate that about 50% of those who begin an eating disorder with anorexia nervosa later become bulimic?
• Living with an eating disorder is beyond debilitating and consumes all of your thoughts, all of the time
• The average waiting time for an adult to get help on the NHS is 6 months after being referred by their GP. Often it is much much longer than this and it is likely the adult has already experienced years of suffering prior to their GP finding out
• Eating disorders have the highest suicide rate of any mental illness
Well I, along with help from wonderful friends and family, will be walking the 15 mile Jubilee Walkway route which contains some of London’s most iconic landmarks. This walk may not be the most daring or adventurous fundraising activity you have seen but I want to make it as inclusive as possible so that people of all abilities can join in and ultimately help raise awareness of this deadly mental disease.
We are fundraising for one of my beautiful best friends, who has suffered with an eating disorder since the age of 13. She is a victim of anorexia and bulimia and has to face the challenge of all of the mental health struggles associated with the eating disorders on a daily basis. This has not been easy and the last year in particular has been unbearable as the grip of the eating disorders has become even stronger. This is not an illness you would wish on your worst enemy. She has recently showed extreme courage and bravery and has decided to seek help for recovery and take her life into her own hands. It will be a long journey but the most worthwhile step imaginable to beat this vicious illness.
Due to the length of the NHS wait time, she has been receiving treatment privately in hospital which is tailored to her requirements in order to give her the best chance of a successful recovery. The cost to be an inpatient starts from £700 per day. Yes, you read correctly - that is the cost per day. Therefore for a month of inpatient treatment, the cost is a minimum of £21,700.
You can't put a price on living a happy and healthy life. I would like to raise a minimum of £2000 to help fund my friend’s treatment as she transitions from being an inpatient to a day patient and eventually an outpatient.
Before I found out about my friend’s illness, I have to admit that I had next to no knowledge of eating disorders and naively thought that it was an extreme desire to lose weight and be ‘thin’. How wrong was I. It has been truly heartbreaking to see someone we love go through such an ordeal therefore I would be ever so grateful if you could help me to reach my target, no matter how big or small the donations.
Of course, please feel free to join me on the walk which will take place on Saturday 5th May. I can promise lots of fun and laughs as I do my best tour guide impression around London whilst walking for a very worthy cause.
So let’s grab our comfiest trainers and beat eating disorders together! #Whywait
Before I tell you, here are some facts that most people do not know about eating disorders...
• Approximately 1.25 million people in the UK have an eating disorder
• Studies indicate that about 50% of those who begin an eating disorder with anorexia nervosa later become bulimic?
• Living with an eating disorder is beyond debilitating and consumes all of your thoughts, all of the time
• The average waiting time for an adult to get help on the NHS is 6 months after being referred by their GP. Often it is much much longer than this and it is likely the adult has already experienced years of suffering prior to their GP finding out
• Eating disorders have the highest suicide rate of any mental illness
Well I, along with help from wonderful friends and family, will be walking the 15 mile Jubilee Walkway route which contains some of London’s most iconic landmarks. This walk may not be the most daring or adventurous fundraising activity you have seen but I want to make it as inclusive as possible so that people of all abilities can join in and ultimately help raise awareness of this deadly mental disease.
We are fundraising for one of my beautiful best friends, who has suffered with an eating disorder since the age of 13. She is a victim of anorexia and bulimia and has to face the challenge of all of the mental health struggles associated with the eating disorders on a daily basis. This has not been easy and the last year in particular has been unbearable as the grip of the eating disorders has become even stronger. This is not an illness you would wish on your worst enemy. She has recently showed extreme courage and bravery and has decided to seek help for recovery and take her life into her own hands. It will be a long journey but the most worthwhile step imaginable to beat this vicious illness.
Due to the length of the NHS wait time, she has been receiving treatment privately in hospital which is tailored to her requirements in order to give her the best chance of a successful recovery. The cost to be an inpatient starts from £700 per day. Yes, you read correctly - that is the cost per day. Therefore for a month of inpatient treatment, the cost is a minimum of £21,700.
You can't put a price on living a happy and healthy life. I would like to raise a minimum of £2000 to help fund my friend’s treatment as she transitions from being an inpatient to a day patient and eventually an outpatient.
Before I found out about my friend’s illness, I have to admit that I had next to no knowledge of eating disorders and naively thought that it was an extreme desire to lose weight and be ‘thin’. How wrong was I. It has been truly heartbreaking to see someone we love go through such an ordeal therefore I would be ever so grateful if you could help me to reach my target, no matter how big or small the donations.
Of course, please feel free to join me on the walk which will take place on Saturday 5th May. I can promise lots of fun and laughs as I do my best tour guide impression around London whilst walking for a very worthy cause.
So let’s grab our comfiest trainers and beat eating disorders together! #Whywait
Organizer
Niki Holdich
Organizer
