We are not giving up!

Our daughter Arlia was diagnosed with severe Depression and Anorexia Nervosa at 14 years of age. She is now 18 years old and still remains in the grips of these mental illnesses. Every day is a battle, she dreads waking up each morning only to face the demons yet again that do not seem to leave her side - ever.

She has been in and out of hospitals, psych wards and residential treatment centres for the past 4 years. During this time she has suffered severe anxiety, depression and emotional dysregulation, making her battle against Anorexia impossibly hard! She has been NG tube fed for many months during this time.

The lack of support, amenities and resources in the NZ Mental Health System have let our daughter down many times during these horribly unbearable years. Her illnesses affect her and us, her family. We are fighting hard to stay together as a strong family unit to save our girl from this nightmare. During the past 4 years we have had to meet Arlia's needs in every way we could. This meant taking time off work, staying in temporary accommodation and many trips to and from mental health services. Financially this has taken its toll. We are looking for financial help as the past 4 years have been extremely difficult and financially debilitating.

Arlia is at the stage where the few treatment options left include ECT, TMS and EMDR. These treatments come at a big cost and we are struggling to find the funds. We are looking for support and help.

We feel that Arlia has battled these illnesses for too long and deserves the chance to try one of these last resort treatment options in the hope that she can finally find the life she deserves.