The Tragic Story Of A Girl Who's Battled Anorexia For 16 Years And Hasn't Eaten In Over A Year

The sad story of one girl's almost lifelong battle with anorexia is reaching a new level of urgency.

With the condition of Emma Duffy (24) growing more dire, her family is now trying to raise money to send her to a treatment facility, which they claim has been prevented by the large cost and the government's unwillingness to help Duffy get help.

Duffy, who in addition to anorexia suffers from a personality disorder and has attempted suicide nine times, hasn't eaten in over a year. She's currently being fed liquid nutrients via a feeding tube, and recently learned of the UK's National Health Service decision that they would not fund the £1,000-a-day specialist care she needs.

To make matters worse, doctors at the hospital in Middlesbrough where Duffy has been treated for the past six months have decided to discharge her, despite the fact that she's still extremely underweight and suffering from a number of body issues.

Her family, fearing that she'll die without the proper care, has taken to the Internet to appeal for help. They're asking people for donations to help them raise £1 million — what they think will be needed for three years of treatment to get Emma healthy.

To get national attention for their daughter and to shame the NHS (where Duffy's dad is an employee) for not paying her medical bills, Duffy's parents have released photos of her, showing her shocking and sickly-skinny form to prove the urgency of their request.

The images aren't easy to see, but they certainly make the point that Duffy, who overdosed on pills when she learned that the NHS wouldn't provide her funding in the next stage of her recovery, is probably not ready for discharge.

Hopefully she and her family can get the help they need.

via Daily Mail, Photos Courtesy: Facebook