SHORELINE – More than 7 million women and 1 million men in the United States suffer from anorexia nervosa, a potentially life-threatening eating disorder characterized by self-starvation and excessive weight loss.
Between five and 20 percent of those suffering from the disorder will die, making anorexia one of the highest death rates of any mental illness, according to the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA).
“One out of every 10 girls with an eating disorder will die – your child has a better chance of surviving cancer,” said Shoreline resident Tracy Serwold, whose daughter, Alexa, suffers from anorexia.
Treatment for eating disorders is expensive, costing from $30,000 to $50,000 a month, and is often not covered by insurance, according to NEDA officials.
So when members of First Lutheran Church of Richmond Beach found out one of its young members suffers from the disorder, the community pulled together to help one of its own.
The church has joined with St. Luke’s Catholic Church to host a dinner and silent auction Saturday, June 21 to raise money for the young girl’s treatment.
Serwold’s daughter was a star gymnast at Shorewood High School until she had a traumatic accident, the dislocation of her elbow. Serwold thinks this may have been the “trigger” for the disorder because her daughter went from spending 16 hours a week in the gym to none, and started becoming obsessed with food and nutrition.
Serwold said she and her husband noticed the weight coming off their daughter, but it wasn’t until several months later when their daughter “lost 11 pounds in one month, and had to be hospitalized” was the disorder diagnosed, and by that time, it had taken control.
“A lot of people think it’s about the child controlling the eating disorder, but the eating disorder actually begins to control them and they can’t let it go, their brains become so malnourished and in such a starved state, they can’t think straight and their thinking becomes distorted,” Serwold said.
Insurance covers hospitalization, but not treatment. When Alexa was considered medically stable, the hospital had to discharge her.
The family found a treatment center in Seattle, but the center closed abruptly, due to lack of funding, and Serwold said Alexa ended up back in the hospital, weighing 87 pounds.
“They told us if she continued to lose weight, she would only have a couple of weeks, because losing one pound is like losing 25. Her heart would stop,” Serwold said.
The Serwolds found Remuda Ranch, a Christian-based eating disorder treatment center in Phoenix, Arizona. Studies show the center has a 92 percent recovery rate, the center’s website states. It costs $94,000 for a 60-day stay.
“People think it’s all about food, but food is the symptom. There are underlying root-causes such as cultural pressure, family dynamics, emotional wounding, traumas and crises in a person’s life, and it takes sometimes 45 to 90 days to really deal with these issues,” said Ward Keller, the founder and CEO of Remuda Ranch. Keller started the program because his own daughter suffered from anorexia 18 years ago and there were no programs to help her.
“We treat the physical issue, but also the mental behavioral health issues underlying the disorder,” Keller said. “Each patient is overseen by six people – a psychiatrist, a primary-care physician, a psychologist, a registered dietitian, a primary master’s trained therapist and around-the-clock nurses …”
Keller said a typical day at Remuda Ranch includes group therapy, individual therapy, art and equine therapy, trauma and abuse therapy and chemical dependency therapy.
Because so much is involved in this treatment the price is very expensive, which is why members of the two churches want to do whatever they can to help raise money for the Serwold family.
As mentioned before, St. Luke’s is hosting a dinner and auction at 6 p.m., June 21 to help raise money. While members of First Lutheran Church of Richmond Beach and students at Shorewood High School organized a pledge-driven 80-mile bike ride on May 31 to raise money. Central Market donated pizzas, Ballard Market donated vegetables and QFC donated salmon, Serwold said.
Marjorie Funk-Phil, associate pastor of First Lutheran, said the outpouring of help, “is because they all know it could be their own kid, and there is a sense that this little girl really needs our help.”
Funk-Phil said she hopes this will become an annual fund-raising event. “It’s incredible what this community has done. What has started out to help a child, has sparked everyone to come together,” she said.
Serwold said she’s grateful for the support.
“What I hope is that we never have to lose a child to an eating disorder because they couldn’t afford the treatment,” Serwold said.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
