New home for people suffering from eating disorders in Vancouver
Posted June 2, 2015 1:04 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – There is now a new place in Vancouver for young adults suffering from eating disorders to receive treatment.
The Looking Glass Residence is a live-in centre with 14 beds available for treating people between the ages of 17 and 24.
The house takes in patients who have participated in community-based programs and are medically stable but still require structured care.
Life is short, and it’s too short to live it with an eating disorder, says former patient Ryley Humphry.
“My eating disorder starting developing when I was 15 years old and I struggled until I came into treatment.”
Humphry credits the program with saving her life.
“My life span would have been dramatically shorter [without it]. I probably would have had osteoporosis, my doctor said by the time I was 30. My heart was severally malnourished, some of my doctors said I was at risk for a heart attack.”
She spent several months working around the clock with nutritionists, therapists, and physiatrists. “I honestly never thought that I was sick enough to come here and I finally realized that this program is for anyone. Eating disorders come in all shapes and sizes.”
The program was formally called Woodstone Residence and housed on Galliano Island. It’s a collaboration between Provincial Health Services, BC Children’s Hospital, and the Looking Glass Foundation and is fully covered by healthcare.
