A message from Gemma Oaten, our CEO
“At the age of 10yrs old, anorexia took a hold of me. No warning, no hint, it just attacked. At the time I was being bullied & after years of therapy I know the root cause was that I couldn’t control what people said or did to me, but I could control some element of what went inside me. The smaller I was, the safer I was – or so I thought.
Having been turned away by the Doctor being deemed not “thin enough to have a problem” my life changed forever. Within a year I was admitted to an adolescent psychiatric unit & given 24hrs to live. Thus began the 13yrs of hell being held captive to an eating disorder & nearly dying 4 times. Living my life in & out of units & hospitals when I should have been with friends, on holidays, travelling, learning…
My parents were passed from pillar to post as they desperately tried to seek treatment & save my life. There was nothing out there, not just for me, but support for them or my family.
So they decided to set up SEED – Eating Disorder Support Services to support the carers & loved ones along with those directly affected. That was 24yrs ago…
Thanks to them & a therapist who spoke to me about me as a human being, I recovered & am now the CEO of SEED. I’m also fighting desperately trying to keep my parents legacy alive as well as make sure our small charity keeps saving lives. At SEED we believe in treating the person & not the eating disorder. As a none clinical service we provide a person centred approach from our lived experience.
Like many smaller charities we are struggling & need your support more than ever. So my amazing brother Chris Charles & I have decided to throw ourselves out of a plane together in the hope we can get it!!
My family went through hell at the hands of the ED, so to have my brother by my side supporting me and SEED to this day means the world. Please get behind us and join me in raising funds for @seedsupportuk , a charity that provides essential support to those struggling with ED’s.
Together, we can make a difference in the lives of individuals in need of help & guidance.
You matter 🌱
💚 Gem & Chris x”
