Please note that this is an Archived article and may contain content that is out of date. The use of she/her/hers pronouns in some articles is not intended to be exclusionary. Eating disorders can affect people of all genders, ages, races, religions, ethnicities, sexual orientations, body shapes, and weights.

Author:  Laura Johnson

“In the arms of an angel, may you find some comfort here.” To borrow words from a favorite song, Center for Change is full of angels.

When Whitney’s eating disorder came to light, I called centers all over the country that spoke more of the huge amounts of money than of hope. They seemed very sterile and they were talking to someone that was sitting in the dark (literally) crying, and wondering what they, as a parent, had done so wrong! God led me to call Center for Change and I found Ken. He took the burden off my shoulders and helped me to bring Whitney to a place of love and compassion.
When I first left Whitney at the Center, I felt like someone had cut a part of my heart away and I was supposed to put on the brave face and fly all the way back to Alaska and trust her in the care of strangers. Those strangers, her therapist, her nutritionist, her care techs, her nurses, and teachers all became very important people, not only to Whitney, but to her whole family! They put up with us during the bad times and loved us through every event. How many times I called during the night and talked with the nurses for comfort and understanding.

When we first began therapy, it was very hard to talk about our life, laid out on the table to a stranger, but we were willing to do whatever it took to help Whitney and understand her eating disorder. Brenna was always professional, but added her own love and courage to the mix.

We are a very grateful family. We have the hope and the comfort that Center for Change helped us find within ourselves and we will always treasure everyone of the angels that will be remembered through every day’s struggles, triggers and disappointments, but also through all the great times, the hugs, the accomplishments and the belief in God that grows stronger every day.