Crowdfunding helps woman afford treatment for anorexia

Peterborough This Week

PETERBOROUGH -- Thanks to a crowdfunding initiative that's garnered more than $36,000, a Peterborough woman is beginning an intensive treatment program to battle anorexia.

On Feb. 5 -- in the midst of National Eating Disorder Awareness Week -- 23-year-old Ingrid Davidson left a Hamilton hospital and checked into Homewood Health Centre in Guelph, which offers specialized treatment for those suffering from anorexia. Her treatment comes after an online campaign launched in early January received national media attention exposing Ms Davidson's eating disorder to friends, family and people she'd never met.

While it's only raised a little more than half of the $60,000 she expects she'll need for a four-or-five-month stay at the treatment centre, the funds donated so far are enough to get her started, according to an update from her mother, Sue Nelson.

"It's a but of a leap of faith to get her started at Homewood, not knowing if we will raise enough to finish treatment," she says.

Still, she's hoping to reach the target before the campaign ends on Feb. 27. In addition, she says some of Ms Davidson's friends have fundraising initiatives in the works.

"(It's) all pretty amazing," she says.

If Ms Davidson were to wait for a bed at the treatment facility that's funded by the Province, she'd likely spend at least 5 years on a wait list, her mother says, but Ms Davidson can't afford to wait that long for help.

At the hospital she was in, Ms Davidson says nurses and doctors could monitor her health, but staff aren't specialized to treat anorexia and couldn't make her eat. S

She's hoping by making her struggle with her disorder public, she can highlight the need for more publicly-funded treatment and help others in a similar situations find the courage to ask for help.

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Crowdfunding helps woman afford treatment for anorexia