Hope For Hannah
Donation protected
This is out there for me, but I cannot handle it on my own any longer. It is bigger than me.
This has been our FIGHT…our LIFE.
I am trying to save my daughter’s life! As some may know and others may not, or even know the severity. Hannah now 20, has been diagnosed with an Eating Disorder (ED) more specifically anorexia nervosa at the age of 17, although it had been lurking much before that. It is not always noticeable, and it hides behind anxiety, panic attacks, depression, social anxiety and defiance and when it shows up it is out of control. We are currently there!
ED is a horrible invasion and it takes over making rational decisions, like the obvious. Hannah is such a wonderfully kind, beautiful, talented and so smart young lady that does not want to be lost in ED. Hannah has aspirations in life and wants to live it with out ED and it has her stuck and she is holding on by a thread and is wanting help. Thank GOD! The picture I shared is one we took at the Ellen show over a year ago. It was on my bucket list and she made sure I was included with her roommates, when one of them got 4 standby tickets. It was one of the best experiences of my life but also hard because I knew it was a struggle for her to get through the day. I share this because it is an example of how Hannah is and wants everyone else to be happy but yet she is just getting by. I hate ED!!!
Things has since spiraled as I have said out of control and I am sending her to a treatment center and the medical costs add up very quickly and Insurance dictates where she goes and how long she stays. The costs are the out of pocket for insurance, doctor visits, blood draws and housing and even more unforeseen costs. She can not work while in recovery so therefore she can not pay these costs. This means I will be incurring even more debt.
I realize a lot of people don’t understand ED or even mental illness, in fact I had to seek a group on Facebook with families in many different states just not to feel alone in our fight. It seems to be taboo and something you don’t talk about, but we need to. There are others out there suffering that need help. There are no resources where we live for ED which is sad because we need it. There is one lone therapist that we have found in our area, but she cannot do it alone, it takes a therapist, doctor, dietician and psychiatrist to work as a team to make a difference as well as group sessions, connection, family sessions and more. Her therapist advocated for Hannah to go seek a higher level of care. Hannah needs to be in fulltime and round the clock care. I have had to and will again send my daughter out of state just to get the help she needs. This means flights back and forth and hotel stays and time off work to be a part of the family treatment. It is a huge part of her recovery!
I will do whatever it takes to get my daughter the help she needs to beat this and I will try anything to save my daughter.
I have so much more to say and I will post updates as we move forward!!!!
We appreciate anything that you can do to help!
Her Mom, Tami
This has been our FIGHT…our LIFE.
I am trying to save my daughter’s life! As some may know and others may not, or even know the severity. Hannah now 20, has been diagnosed with an Eating Disorder (ED) more specifically anorexia nervosa at the age of 17, although it had been lurking much before that. It is not always noticeable, and it hides behind anxiety, panic attacks, depression, social anxiety and defiance and when it shows up it is out of control. We are currently there!
ED is a horrible invasion and it takes over making rational decisions, like the obvious. Hannah is such a wonderfully kind, beautiful, talented and so smart young lady that does not want to be lost in ED. Hannah has aspirations in life and wants to live it with out ED and it has her stuck and she is holding on by a thread and is wanting help. Thank GOD! The picture I shared is one we took at the Ellen show over a year ago. It was on my bucket list and she made sure I was included with her roommates, when one of them got 4 standby tickets. It was one of the best experiences of my life but also hard because I knew it was a struggle for her to get through the day. I share this because it is an example of how Hannah is and wants everyone else to be happy but yet she is just getting by. I hate ED!!!
Things has since spiraled as I have said out of control and I am sending her to a treatment center and the medical costs add up very quickly and Insurance dictates where she goes and how long she stays. The costs are the out of pocket for insurance, doctor visits, blood draws and housing and even more unforeseen costs. She can not work while in recovery so therefore she can not pay these costs. This means I will be incurring even more debt.
I realize a lot of people don’t understand ED or even mental illness, in fact I had to seek a group on Facebook with families in many different states just not to feel alone in our fight. It seems to be taboo and something you don’t talk about, but we need to. There are others out there suffering that need help. There are no resources where we live for ED which is sad because we need it. There is one lone therapist that we have found in our area, but she cannot do it alone, it takes a therapist, doctor, dietician and psychiatrist to work as a team to make a difference as well as group sessions, connection, family sessions and more. Her therapist advocated for Hannah to go seek a higher level of care. Hannah needs to be in fulltime and round the clock care. I have had to and will again send my daughter out of state just to get the help she needs. This means flights back and forth and hotel stays and time off work to be a part of the family treatment. It is a huge part of her recovery!
I will do whatever it takes to get my daughter the help she needs to beat this and I will try anything to save my daughter.
I have so much more to say and I will post updates as we move forward!!!!
We appreciate anything that you can do to help!
Her Mom, Tami
Organizer
Tami Smith
Organizer
Grants Pass, OR