Friday, May 7, 2010

Thank you Jenni Schaefer for this mother's day gift!

Happy Mother's Day to all who are, have been and who have mothers. This mother's day gift came to me via another mother's child and I am so happy to see it. Than you Jenni for helping all of us who love a child with an eating disorder to hear what we have so badly needed to hear.

IT'S NOT OUR FAULT. - Thank you Jenni for saying it so beautifully and gracefully, you have given an amazing gift to every mother who has had a child with an eating disorder. I believe your words will help to heal millions of mother's hearts.

I know I am not alone as a mother who was very clearly given many many messages that my daughter's life threatening illness was somehow a result of my parenting. Not only was I scared out of my mind that she would die, saddened beyond description at what this disease was taking from her and us but I was at the same time blamed.

What we all needed was help. Encouragement. Support. Tools. Kindness. Answers. Love. Instead what happened is now being called a "parentectomy" and that didn't help anyone.

Thank you Jenni for your beautiful letter, your gift to all of us mothers of children with eating disorders. In my world of believing that ANYTHING is POSSIBLE, I picture your letter in the family waiting rooms of every eating disorders clinic in the world. I see it in all of the curriculum materials that (will soon exist) to educate ALL healthcare providers so that they know that eating disorders are complex bio-psycho-social illnesses and that blaming the parents is an antiquated way of treating the family.

Moms out there, I would love to hear your stories of hearing words such as Jenni has shared with us and her mother.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jenni-schaefer/mom-its-not-your-fault_b_565831.html

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