05-23-2015, 03:41 PM
Money Raised -- Treatment Underway
The GoFundMe page has exceeded $120,000 in donations.
Initially, Farrokh, who lives in San Clemente, California, hoped to raise enough money for treatment at the ACUTE Center for Eating Disorders at the Denver Health Medical Center. But, her doctor doesn't think she's strong enough for the travel, so some of the money will be used to set up a treatment center at her home until she can be moved.
“My doctor wants me to stay here (in California) and is bringing the hospital basically to my bedside,” Farrokh said Friday. “I’ll have a doctor, a registered nurse, therapist and other specialist treat me from home. We are trying to build up to that point to travel to a specialized treatment center like Denver Health.”
Dr. Tim Walsh, an eating disorder specialist at New York State Psychiatric institute at Columbia University, said that generally refeeding is effective, but for someone so ill, it would need to be done at an experienced facility. Walsh, who has not treated Farrokh, said few medical facilities have the expertise to treat a case such as hers.
Medical treatment for starvation and psychological support are the two issues that need to be immediately addressed during treatment for severe anorexia nervosa, he said. “In treatment, first the calorie intake must be increased. It must be done very gradually and carefully so a patient doesn’t experience the complications that can occur during refeeding. One of the main complications of refeeding is cardiac-related, including heart failure, which can be fatal,” Walsh said.
Farrokh said she will slowly increase her calorie intake — as small as 25 calories per day. “What people don’t understand is I can’t just eat a cheeseburger because it could kill me,” she said.
![[Image: 150521132614-04-rt34994-super-169.jpg]](http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/150521132614-04-rt34994-super-169.jpg)
Rachael's story and pics inspired one girl with Bulimia to pull her head from the toilet and seek help.
Farrokh said she knows her time is limited and without the money and help she’s received, she will lose the battle.
Ref: http://ktla.com/2015/05/23/at-40-pounds-...ial-media/
The GoFundMe page has exceeded $120,000 in donations.
Initially, Farrokh, who lives in San Clemente, California, hoped to raise enough money for treatment at the ACUTE Center for Eating Disorders at the Denver Health Medical Center. But, her doctor doesn't think she's strong enough for the travel, so some of the money will be used to set up a treatment center at her home until she can be moved.
“My doctor wants me to stay here (in California) and is bringing the hospital basically to my bedside,” Farrokh said Friday. “I’ll have a doctor, a registered nurse, therapist and other specialist treat me from home. We are trying to build up to that point to travel to a specialized treatment center like Denver Health.”
Dr. Tim Walsh, an eating disorder specialist at New York State Psychiatric institute at Columbia University, said that generally refeeding is effective, but for someone so ill, it would need to be done at an experienced facility. Walsh, who has not treated Farrokh, said few medical facilities have the expertise to treat a case such as hers.
Medical treatment for starvation and psychological support are the two issues that need to be immediately addressed during treatment for severe anorexia nervosa, he said. “In treatment, first the calorie intake must be increased. It must be done very gradually and carefully so a patient doesn’t experience the complications that can occur during refeeding. One of the main complications of refeeding is cardiac-related, including heart failure, which can be fatal,” Walsh said.
Farrokh said she will slowly increase her calorie intake — as small as 25 calories per day. “What people don’t understand is I can’t just eat a cheeseburger because it could kill me,” she said.
Rachael's story and pics inspired one girl with Bulimia to pull her head from the toilet and seek help.
Farrokh said she knows her time is limited and without the money and help she’s received, she will lose the battle.
Ref: http://ktla.com/2015/05/23/at-40-pounds-...ial-media/