DEFEAT Auction launched to help Magen Avrohom continue with its vital mission of helping those suffering in silence and isolation

She was my pride and joy.

Sometimes I wish that wasn’t the case, I think maybe it would hurt less. That is, when I have the mental energy and headspace to even stop and think. These days, I’ve given up on trying to get my old daughter back; at this point I will be thrilled if I can just see her live.

In my naiveté, I had thought that anorexia was something that happens to ‘some people’, not an affliction which can affect an attractive, popular, vivacious A-student from a wholesome family. Boy, was I wrong… You see, my family was not ‘the type’ to have a child like this. We were the ones talking about other people, not the ones being whispered about. When Ahuva’s camp director called us that we should drop everything and travel to meet them immediately in the Catskills, the worst we could think of was that Ahuva had used her position as the class queen to stir up some trouble.

Nothing could have prepared us for the horror unfolding before our eyes. These days, on the few occasions where I am able to get some sleep, I still wake up with nightmares from that fateful day. There she laid, the emaciated, barely identifiable shell of what was our dear Ahuva. The pain on her crestfallen, bony face could make a stone cry – imagine what it did to her mother.

It turned out that the loose sweatshirts she had been wearing over the previous months were covering up much more than just her elbows and neckline. She had become trapped in the grip of a dangerous demon who was not about to let go without a fight.

And fight we did. Some days Ahuva was on our team but some days she was decidedly not. This tug of war has left many blisters on my mental state, marks which I am not certain will ever heal. If I had a nickel for every time I’ve given up, I would have…. well, nothing because right now nothing else matters to me except my daughter’s wellbeing.

Throughout this terrible ordeal we have been run through the gauntlet. Futile hospital stays, organ failure, dangerous lies and near-death episodes. No parent in the world should ever have to experience what we are going through.

We have learned a lot over recent years, but the #1 lesson we have learned is that Magen Avrohom is a life-saving organization without equal! The way in which they came to our aid and their determination to do everything in their power to save my daughter, is nothing short of mind blowing. While the cliché is that we don’t know where we’d be without them, the truth is that I know full well where we’d be without them, and that’s a terrifying thought for any parent to entertain.

Nobody knows who the next Ahuva will be, but we do know that Magen Avrohom will be right by their side with tireless devotion. Let’s do our part and help this great organization in their lofty mission of Hatzolas Nefashos.

Owing to the nature of these eating disorders, Magen Avrohom does not have the luxury of survivors and their families’ testimony being used as fundraising tools. I am certain that someone you know has benefited from their critical services! Please help Magen Avrohom during their campaign by calling 646 400 5009 or visiting https://maauction.org/

Thank You,

A struggling mother of an anorexia struggler