Hello, my name is Tricia Ruiter and I am raising funds for my oldest son, Kyle Ruiter, who has been battling Anorexia since 6th grade and will be turning 30 this year, as well as having Spectrum Autism. During Kyle's struggle, his teeth also declined. After braces and many, many caps and major teeth work, he had to get all of his teeth removed and a few implant screws implanted on his bottom jaw. The surgery and the upper dentures and lower partial with implants cost over $18,000. This surgery was elective, and insurance did not cover the majority of it, leaving Kyle with this huge balance. He is only 29 years old, he has recovered from Anorexia, and he does not want to go the rest of his life without teeth. Kyle is disabled and does not have the funds to take care of this huge dental bill. Any donation that you can give will help Kyle be able to SMILE again!

This message below is from Kyle.

Born Again

To all my friends and family that I have abandoned and pushed away for the last decade, I want to say that I am sorry. It was not Kyle that chose to live in isolation, in a self-induced prison, Hell on Earth. It was my disorder; it took everything that I hold dear away from me. All my relationships to family, childhood friends, siblings, peers, neighbors, all were severed by the illness. The darkness enveloped my life; extreme depression, anxiety, loss of happiness, no desire or purpose to live. It was a bleak and difficult struggle.

But I chose not to succumb to the darkness; I chose life. There were so many points where I didn’t care if I died or not; often I would wish the torture would just end. I was taken out of high school twice and institutionalized (end of sophomore year and start of junior year high school 2012). It was bad in 6th grade, got worse in 10th grade, and even worse throughout the final two years of college. I would end up battling it between 2007 and 2021. I was on the brink of death in February 2020 when I weighed a measly 74 lbs. It was damaging to the point where I didn’t have the strength to walk upstairs, my heart would skip beats, I lost all emotion and interest in activities and hobbies I enjoyed. I would get blown over from a gust of wind, was always freezing cold, and lost interest in females. All I cared about was what I ate (or lack thereof), how skinny I was, and I would just count down the minutes for each day to end. My thoughts just revolved around food, constantly hungry, my mind and body screaming out to nourish it, but my disorder said no.

I was literally just existing, just surviving. I pushed myself as close to the brink of death's door several times and I honestly do not know how I am here today, but I am for sure glad that I am. I often ask myself, ‘Why did God choose me? Why did he give me this disorder? Why did he make me have such a perfectionist mindset that I set these crazy expectations for myself?’ Like when a teacher asked to write a 3-page minimum paper, mine would be 12. If we were assigned an essay due in 4 weeks, I’d turn it in the next day. When I’m told to do 10 reps, I do 11. When people said I couldn’t be the #1 Call of Duty player, I did (twice). Whatever I do in life I give my all and more. I never settle for average or mediocrity.

I would question, ‘Why did God save me? I wanted to leave this Earth, but he wouldn't allow it. Death comes for us all, but it was not my time yet. My pal from Ireland died this past year from the same disorder I suffered from. It really hit me hard and I knew my purpose to live. I now knew why God chose to save me. It is my duty to be a spokesperson for this horrific disease. So many people, especially males, are affected but do not want to talk about it. I want to share my story and experiences in hope I can relate and potentially save people who walk the dark path that I once traveled.

I want others to live their healthiest and most fulfilling life. I want those who have lost purpose in life to find the light, to find their why. Life is a beautiful thing, and each day should be cherished. Each day is an opportunity to experience a new adventure, to make someone smile, to make the world a better place.

My soul died the day the disorder took over, but I am happy to say I am reborn. Kyle is back. Be better, be happy. Smile.

If you ever want to talk or are struggling in any sort of way, I am here for you. And to all my loved ones, friends, and peers that were afraid to approach me in my darkest time or those who I lost communication with, I want to get to know you all again, and I want you to meet and learn about the real Kyle. I think he's pretty cool.

Love you all, Kyle.