Help send Kaia to the Eating Recovery Center
We have started this fundraising page to help support Alli and her daughter Kaia. Many of you know Alli as the energetic, outgoing, inspirational, fitness professional from Marketplace Fitness. For those of you who don’t know Kaia, she is kind, loving, smart, courageous, athletic, 15 yr old. Kaia has struggled with an eating disorder, depression, and anxiety for the last two years. Things rapidly declined for Kaia in November of 2020 when she fractured her hip during gymnastics and had to have surgery. The injury along with the emotional and social effects of COVID was too much and her eating disorder struck with vengeance.
Kaia needs intensive inpatient treatment but there isn’t a single eating disorder treatment center in the state of Vermont. The greatest obstacle to getting Kaia help is her insurance, Vermont State Medicaid. The only treatment center that contracts with VT Medicaid is in MA. In March 2021 Kaia was admitted to their inpatient facility. In July she was discharged home because they were unable to helpher recovery. 7 months ago she was placed on a feeding tube. She is still dependent on the feeding tube for 95% of her nutrition and hydration.
Kaia is continuing to decline physically and emotionally. She has been admitted to the hospital twice and has gone to the ER numerous times since July. Alli is a single parent. Because Kaia needs full time care Alli is unable to work. It takes 6 hrs a day just to give Kaia her nutrition through her feeding tube. In addition she has almost daily medical and mental health appointments that she has to be taken to. It takes a trained team to treat an Eating Disorder. For the past 4 months Alli and Kaia’s father, Jason are doing everything they can to keep her stable, they have had to play the role of nurse, therapist, advocate and parent. An impossible task for parents to be given. This is not sustainable situation for Kaia or her family. Kaia needs treatment as soon as possible.
The state of Vermont’s healthcare system is failing Kaia. Over 45 inpatient eating disorder facilities have been contacted. Out of those 45 none of them were willing to do a single case agreement with Medicaid except Hasbro Children’s Hospital in RI ( the waitlist could be until January) and the Center for Change in Utah (which does not practice restraint feeds and sadly is what Kaia now needs) has agreed to do a single case agreement. Even though VT Medicaid is willing to pay for treatment, treatment centers are unwilling to work with Medicaid.
Kaia could receive treatment within 3-6 weeks if we are able to raise enough money to pay out of pocket. The average cost per day for inpatient care is $2000 without insurance. The money raised would help pay for 2-3 months at an inpatient treatment center, 1-2 months at residential treatment, airfare, hotels and travel expenses. To help with costs we are a trying to get additional funding from scholarships.
Alli has helped us believe in ourselves, kept us motivated and changed our lives both mentally and physically. She helped support so many people. Now is the time to help support her, and her daughter. Please join us by showing your love and support, no amount is too small. If you’re unable to donate, please help by sharing this page.
Thank you-
Friends of Alli and Kaia