In an effort to beat a disease that has plagued his wife’s life for nearly a decade, husband of California actress, Rachel Farrokh, has launched a crowdfunding campaign on GoFundMe with a mission to raise funds to help fight her battle against anorexia.
As the illness continues to destroy Rachel’s body, her husband, Rod Edmondson, pleaded to the GoFundMe crowd to help fund her treatments so that she can survive. He wrote:
“My lovely wife Rachael and I have been together for more than a decade and she will be seeing her final days if we don’t take action! She is 5’7″ and her weight continues to plummet to a weight that’s extremely dangerous. She has been fighting through a disease that has the highest mortality rate of all psychological disorders, an extreme case of Anorexia.
“There is only one hospital in the country that specializes in refeeding patients at such a low body weight and it’s my mission to get her there. If she receives too many calories her metabolism will kick up and she will lose even more weight. This is a VERY delicate medical situation. Hospitals won’t admit her because she is a liability for them. She doesn’t meet their minimum weight requirement and they don’t have the knowledge or capabilities to save her. She is at a critical point. This has been a 10 year fight for us. She has had multiple blood transfusion, blood clots, edema and has suffered heart, liver and kidney failure already. Rachael decided to keep this on the down low for people not to worry and also due to the shame of the disorder. Her days are limited if we don’t take action immediately.
“Rachael is a captivating, kind and amazing woman that has always put others before herself. Those who have had an opportunity to get to know her will tell you that she is brilliant, caring and has a heart of gold. She is a true low flying angel. She has always been an overachiever but this battle has yet to conquer. The support of for her friends and family has been the driving force behind her determination to overcome her disorder.
“But now she desperately needs the highest level of care possible. The funding will help cover medical bills and overall treatment. Time is of the essence and I don’t want to lose the most important person in my life. She is bedridden, and I had to leave my job to give her round the clock care. Home nurses, physical therapist and even physiotherapist won’t even see her due to the liability of her condition. If you are not in the position to help us financially, please keep us in your prayers and pass the link on your Facebook timeline. Someone you know may be able to help or maybe it will at least bring awareness to how deadly and widespread this disease is. This disease comes with an incredible amount of pain, emotionally, physically and mentally but it is often oversimplified. People think it’s just about being skinny and that they just need to eat something and it will be all better. The reality is people are hurting so much that they’re trying to make themselves disappear, and if we ignore it we let them. I don’t want this fate for my wife.
“Your donation of any amount is greatly appreciated. You may contact me through Facebook with any questions and make sure to ‘like’ her page to follow her blogs that will be constantly updated and witness ‘Rachael’s Road to Recovery’.”
During a recent interview with ABC, Rachel admitted she has had the eating disorder for 10 very long years but now her health has declined extremely, and she is now seeking extensive treatment to save her life.
Before the disease took over her life, Rachel was 5-foot-8 and weighed 125 pounds. She now weighs only 40 pounds and is so thin that others can see her bones through her skin. She currently spends her days and nights in a hospital bed that has been put into her home.
Rachel told the media outlet:
“My sister gave a collage of pictures of when I was acting or doing certain things. I look at that girl, the head shot, it’s only a few years old. It’s like I know I’ve wasted this much of my life. I just want to be that person again – that strong, independent woman that can be herself.”
Sharing details about refeeding, Dr. Mcihael Strober, a professor of psychiatry and director at the eating disorder program at the Resnick UCLA Neuropsychiatric Hospital revealed that the process may pose potential dangers to the patient:
“Refeeding syndrome results from metabolic changes that are associated with feeding an individual who has been calorie-depleted. So, the feeding needs to be carefully monitored. The refeeding syndrome will involve the body’s attempt to adapt to sudden introduction of nutrients… Too rapid increase of calories can result in the metabolic adaptation which is associated of a number of hazards, which can be life-threatening.”
Rachel explained that the extreme weightloss has caused serious problems:
“I’ve had heart, kidney and live failure and osteoporosis for the past seven years. When I went to the hospital in January, they flooded me with fluids and I gained 40 pounds overnight in water weight. That’s when my body started shutting down.”
Also noting how anorexia has affected her brain, Rachel stated:
“At such a low body weight, my brain is a little slower than I would like. Sometimes, you’ll forget what you said a few seconds ago. You just not on your game. I want other anorexics to hear this. This is miserable. Everything hurts from my head down to my toes It’s really hard to [stay on topic], so what I try to do is have conversations with Rod and keep in contact with other victims on Facebook to be encouraging and supportive of one another.”
Rachel then added that she is desperate to fully recover from anorexia and plans to opt for either professional home care or checking herself into a particular out-of-state clinic that may accept her:
“It’s one of the options, but now we are getting some news that they want me to do a medical check to see if I can be lifted to the clinic’s location. It’s one of the only places that will take me.”
Since its launch last month, Rachel’s GoFundMe campaign has surpassed its initial $100,000 goal and has secured $185,000.
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