#1
Rachael Farrokh was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa over ten years ago. By April of 2015 she had reached a weight of 40 lbs. and hospitals refused to take her in for treatment because she did not meet their weight minimum. She suffered through blood transfusions, blood clots, edema, and heart, liver, and kidney failure.
#2
Medical treatment for the physical and psychological effects of anorexia are two very different matters, meaning Rachael needed a facility best suited to her needs. Unfortunately, these facilities are hard to come by and are usually expensive. Rachael wanted to get better but didn't have the funding, so she reached out with a YouTube video asking for help.
#3
"My name's Rachael. I need your help. In order for us to get there and I'm not one to ever ask for help I need your help. We need your help. Otherwise, I don't have a shot, and I'm ready to get better. So please, if there's anything you can do to save my life, please click this link that you'll see and do anything you can. Anything will help." KTLA5
Her husband and her started a GoFundMe page, raising almost $200,000. She was able to get a team to help her with her recovery at home until she was able to travel to a treatment facility in Portugal.
#4
Rachael has been receiving treatment at a facility in Portugal, where she has begun to gain weight and her spirits continue to lift. In a Facebook post she said she knows she still has work to do and that her journey isn't close to being finished, but she won't be letting anything slow her down.
"I'm excited about life, because what was a glimmer of hope 3 months ago has turned into a certainty to live. I regained the clarity and strength of my mind. My goal in this recovery process is to create awareness and education in order to help others battling this disease." CNN
#5
Some doubt has surrounded Rachael's recovery, questioning the use of the funding money and if she really is getting better. Recovering from anorexia is a extremely slow process, taking 3-5 years in Rachael's case. Her calorie intake started very small and slowly increases by 25 calories per day. If Rachael consumes too much, her metabolism will go into overdrive and she could in fact lose more weight.
#6
She wants her story to inspire and encourage others fighting eating disorders.
"I want to bring awareness to this disease because it's going unnoticed and there's a lot of shame around eating disorders right now. It's inspiring me to want to get better I want my struggle to help other women know that they aren't alone. This terrible disease should not be kept in the closet of shame."
#7
Everyone deserves to live their life and love themselves. Overcoming any mental illness doesn't happen overnight. The thing to remember is that you are more than your body or your thoughts and that when you ask for help, someone out there will help you and wants to help. Rachael shares her continued progress on her Facebook page Rachael's Road To Recovery. If you or someone you know is showing symptoms of an eating disorder, seek help as soon as possible. It is easier to prevent the disease from taking hold of you than to reverse the damage, but it isn't impossible and Rachael is just one example of that.
