A teenager who was sent home from an eating disorder clinic after being diagnosed with anorexia was fighting for her life in hospital just five days later.
Claudia Fletcher, 19, began losing weight rapidly in September 2022 while working in a warehouse to raise money for travel.
The work was “brutal” and had a huge impact on his health, as he walked 20,000 steps a day and lifted heavy boxes during his 6am to 2pm shift.
In November, Claudia contacted her GP, who referred her to eating disorder services, but was told she would have to wait six weeks before her first appointment and another six weeks to be assessed for any type of treatment. of help.
Just five days after her first appointment, Claudia was hospitalized in an intensive care ward at Glenfield Hospital, barely able to walk or get out of bed.
In just three months, Claudia had lost around 12 kg, almost two kilos.
Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, Claudia said: ‘There really wasn’t much left of me. She was so controlled by the disease that anyone who got in my way (she thought) would come after me.
‘My mother was very desperate. She was on the computer all day, every day, researching and desperately trying to find a place to take me and I had never seen my dad so scared. “They were just terrified of where this was going to end.”
In the days before her hospitalization, Claudia was not eating anything at all, only “a few grapes” at most, and was reluctant to accept help from her parents.
Claudia believes that if she had not been hospitalized after that initial appointment, she would have died before the next one.
She believes the anxiety caused by Covid lockdowns has affected many young women and that was when their eating problems began.
“I think Covid had a big impact on a lot of young girls, with their body image and their eating habits and things like that,” she said.
Claudia smiling after being discharged from Glenfield Hospital in Leicester (pictured right)
Claudia (pictured left) with a friend. The 19-year-old said the support of family, friends and inpatient unit staff is what put her on the road to recovery.
Claudia is now deeply recovered and is currently in her first year at Newcastle University studying a degree in Psychology.
While Claudia said the care she received in the inpatient unit was “impeccable”, she said more NHS funding was needed to ensure people “can be cared for before they become seriously ill”.
This summer she will be skydiving to raise money for BEAT, the British eating disorder charity, which supported her family during Claudia’s time in hospital.
He has set up a JustGiving page to raise money for his challenge.
Writing on her JustGiving page, Claudia said: ‘Anorexia is the deadliest mental illness, killing 1 in 5 of those who suffer from it.
‘The hospital care I received from the NHS was impeccable and I cannot thank them enough for everything they did for me during my 6 month admission and the support they continue to give me through outpatient care.
“However, it remains unacceptable that eating disorders are considered ‘weight-based’ illnesses and that people only receive the treatment they need when it is often too late and they are in a critical physical situation.
Claudia (in the photo) with her father a few days after being discharged from the hospital
“No one should die from an eating disorder in 2023. I am one of the lucky ones who is still here today to fight for more funding for eating disorder services in the NHS, so that everyone can get the help they need before their health physics is so bad. the impacts are irreversible and traumatic.
‘Everyone suffering from ED deserves help, regardless of their physical health or weight. Anorexia nervosa is a mental illness, not a physical one.
“I’m raising money for the BEAT charity, which supported me and my family when the NHS fell short.”
Claudia admitted that she had had problems with eating for a few years before, but that they got worse when she started working as she was “isolated”, which gave her the “perfect opportunity to fall into it”.
“I always wanted to lose weight, going on diets here and there, but my weight never really changed,” Claudia said.
‘As soon as I started working out I realized it was a way to lose weight and I latched onto it and completely slipped.
‘Once I started losing weight, it was no longer about my appearance. I just wanted to eat less and less and do more and more. And I didn’t know how to stop it.
Claudia (pictured) at a concert a few days after being discharged from the hospital
‘I have always been a perfectionist and I like to have goals. At work there was a pick rate of how many boxes I was supposed to sort per hour. It wasn’t the end of the world if you didn’t meet that rate, but in my head it was.
“I put a lot of pressure on myself and had a sense of accomplishment losing weight and, with people concerned, it was kind of a validation of everything and it really fueled the eating disorder.”
Thanks to the care she received at the Bennion Inpatient Center, which included meal plans, contact with dietitians, and therapy, Claudia is now enjoying college life.
Founded in 1989 as the Eating Disorders Association, BEAT is a national helpline that exists to support and encourage recovery.
People can contact the charity online or by phone. Representatives listen, give advice and support people to take positive steps towards their recovery.
Pascale Harvie, president and CEO of JustGiving, said: ‘Claudia is truly inspiring. Despite having endured an incredibly difficult 18 months, she is using her experience to raise money and awareness for a very important charity.
“On behalf of everyone at JustGiving, we wish Claudia the best of luck on her mission.”
To make a donation to Claudia’s fundraiser, visit her Just Giving page here.
If you are struggling with an eating disorder or care for someone who does, visit beateatingdisorders.co.uk for advice and support.