Every 62 minutes someone dies as a direct result of an eating disorder. Anorexia has the HIGHEST mortality rate of ANY  illness for females between the ages of 15 and 24 in the United States.  It has 12 times the mortality rate of ALL other causes of death for that age group of young women in our nation.

In the spring of 2017, We began to realize that we are the parents of a wonderful, bright, and talented daughter, Kaitlynn who suffers from this brain-based biological, and extremely fatal, illness.  We watched our vibrant, talented, happy child begin to fade.  

  Throughout this journey, we have come to understand that this eating disorder is NOT a choice, it is a disease that has been holding Kaitlynn and our entire family hostage.  At first, we worked desperately to manage her treatment program at home, trying to maintain some sense of normality for all of us, working with doctors and therapists.  We sought help for her of all kinds, doing everything we could afford, and she was stable. 



Our family was getting by.  Then a trauma was inflicted on her sister by a sexual predator.

Her relationship with this sister had been a stabilizing factor, and the loss of that, and other effects of this truly evil person on our family, was a catalyst that caused her eating disorder to skyrocket.  She became  increasingly moody, then violent and combative, as her weight plummeted.  Her heart began to be affected.  It was apparent that every system in her body was beginning to shut down.

We quickly began to realize that swift, intense, and immediate treatment was the only way to save both our family and the life of our child.  She was dying now, and nothing we were doing would stop it.  

Eating disorders are not treated in the same way as other illnesses.  GOOD treatment that doesn't lead to years of rebound treatments that far too often end in death, require specialized training and often  (as in our Kaitlynn's case) residential care which is emotionally exhausting and financially crippling.  Eating disorder treatment is expensive even with insurance, but our war with anorexia has included a battle with insurance companies to cover the specialized care prescribed to save Kaitlynn's life.

We searched hard, researched the disease, consulted with our medical professionals and other families suffering the same way, toured facilities, and prayed.  We were very fortunate and blessed to find an extremely effective residential treatment program.  We found that our insurance appeared to cover it and enrolled her as quickly as possible.  

It was a true miracle.  The next time we spoke with our daughter face to face, she tearfully confessed that she had an eating disorder.  We were stunned.  Only two weeks earlier she had reacted with violence when we even mentioned the words "eating disorder".  One piece of progress led to the next, she began to recover her health, her self, and her weight.   

After only one month of a treatment program. that typically lasts five or more, our insurance company insisted on a decreased level of care in contradiction to the advice of the medical professionals treating our daughter.  Shortly after that, insurance bureaucracy decreased coverage again.   Fortunately, we had picked the right people, they helped us fight, and they refused to give up on Kaitlynn. 


If my child was diagnosed with cancer and was prescribed ten rounds of chemotherapy, it would be criminally negligent to stop treatment halfway through completion, but that's exactly what our insurance company was requiring. 

Fearing for the continued health of our daughter, we have worked to find ways to bridge the enormous financial gap between what the insurance would authorize and what professional medical staff recommends.   The organization providing treatment has been very generous with their time and understanding.  but now, insurance has cut off coverage completely, and we have run out of money.

The cost of this treatment would be staggering for most Americans and definitely is for us.   Monthly costs can rival the price tag of a new luxury vehicle, but we refuse to abandon hope that Kaitlynn will be able to complete this rigorous program.   

We refuse to allow insurance to dictate our daughter's chance at LIFE and recovery.   It may seem excessive, but overall the costs to complete  her chosen and now PROVEN effective treatment are significantly less than continued emergency room visits, ambulance escorts, hospital stays, rebound residential treatment, doctor bills, and other debts associated with continued suffering with anorexia.   It's still our best hope.

We struggled with the decision to share our distress. Kaitlynn didn't want anyone to know that she was battling this disease.  She feared the judgment, shame, exclusion, and rumors that often are the stigma of eating disorders.   

We were also concerned that asking for this help publicly might make things worse at a very sensitive time for our daughter.  We consulted with a lot of good and knowledgeable people on the subject, studied other similar efforts, and came to the conclusion that the dangerous truth is that, while she did not choose this,  it is in secrecy and seclusion that this disease thrives.

Thank you all for any prayer, financial donation, or positive thought that anyone can spare to bolster Kaitlynn on this road to a healthy and permanent recovery.  We would greatly appreciate it if you would share our story and our link to both gain our daughter's medical needs, and also to spread understanding and education about this often fatal and vastly underestimated disease.

We will continue to do whatever it takes, give up whatever is necessary, to save our daughter.   We will not quit.  Every penny you donate will go directly to her treatment. 

This video of her singing at a recent recovery meeting pretty much says it all...


In order for her treatment to continue, we need immediate funding..   

Please help if you can.