Warning: This post is about anorexia nervosa and may be triggering for some readers.
Rachael Farrokh, the anorexia sufferer whose plea for help went viral this month, is due to begin treatment for her illness at a specialised clinic. Now, she’s released a video (scroll down to watch it) thanking her thousands of supporters.
As Mamamia previously reported, the aspiring actress has been battling anorexia nervosa for 10 years. Her condition is now so severe, she spends her days and nights in a hospital bed inside her home.
Farrokh has also suffered from heart, liver and kidney failure, osteoporosis, blood clots and edema as a result of the debilitating eating disorder, and her husband Rod Edmondson cares for her full-time in their California home.
She appeared in a YouTube video earlier this month, describing the impact the eating disorder has had on her life (post continues after video):
Mr Edmondson simultaneously created a GoFundMe page seeking donations for his wife’s treatment — explaining that while she has previously spent time in several different treatment facilities, her condition is so severe that only one hospital in the country is able to accept her now.
“There is only one hospital in the country that specializes in re-feeding patients at such a low body weight and it’s my mission to get her there,” Mr Edmondson wrote. “If she receives too many calories her metabolism will kick up and she will lose even more weight.”