We were a happy normal Christian family until our daughter, aged 11, suddenly stopped eating and drinking at the outset of the summer holidays in July 2003. We had noticed that as she coped with the pressures of school during the SATS exams and struggled with some unkind comments from her peers, she lost not only confidence but also her appetite. She seemed not to be able to get out from a depression despite all our efforts to listen to her, to show our love and concern and to reason with her about her eating. She began going out on the trampoline in the garden with the express desire to exercise away any small amounts of food eaten. We could see the kgs falling off her and we were desperate. We clung to the Lord for His support and guidance and sought it from the Bible and turned to our church for prayer and fellowship, all of who were amazing! Fortunately a swift diagnosis of anorexia nervosa brought some help from the NHS but she had lost a third of her body weight in 8 weeks and had to be tube fed 24 hours a day in hospital. She then was admitted to a clinic hundreds of miles away. We had prayed that it was the right choice and to our amazement it featured the next day on TV.

It was a heartbreaking time, but we stayed strong believing in the love of God and His ability to change hearts and minds and behaviour. We followed the prescribed diet for her for eight months after she left the clinic which she was happy to do and although a little restrictive, we knew was the right approach for her. We also knew that her thinking was still disordered in that she still saw herself as fat and worthless and so a lot of personal encouragement and new achievements were necessary. We saw progress very gradually as she was able to take a bath again and look at her body , to swim with us for fun and not just do lengths all the time, to laugh and play with her sisters, to accept a chocolate from the box being shared. Her diary which had contained so many black thoughts but which the therapist had encouraged her to keep was now recording happier and more positive ideas. We believed it was part of God’s plan for her to go for the first time to New Wine with her friends and with us. At the end of the week she asked for prayer on stage and told us she felt free. She has made a complete recovery thanks to God.