Heather was a beautiful 22 year old, with a smile that would light up a room. She was a junior in college, studying Art History. She had so much potential, and great plans for her future. All that went up in smoke on March 9, 2003. Heather dies in her sleep from complications of anorexia and bulimia.
She weighed 62 pounds. Heather had been anorexic since 2000,
and would never seek treatment, believing she had everything under control, and embarrassed to talk to a professional. She did seem to be holding her own until a few months before her death, when she started to purge. The little bit of nourishmentshe did eat, she vomited up, with the help of Ipecac Syrup, readily available at any grocery store.
Please be assured, Heather did not want to die, her mind was not her own and she had no idea what she was doing to herself, despite what everyone loved her was saying. Her friends comment "Heather never seemed depressed, ever." She always had her trademark smile. The night before she died, we went shopping at the mall, and stopped for lemon ice. Heather felt , or said she felt, that she was in control and would be all right.
"The loss of my precious daughter is unimaginable. I cannot see a life without her in it. I tried so hard, but her eating disorder had a stronger hold on her than I. I think about her constantly, and will miss her until I take my last breath. I will try, for the rest of my life, to increase public awareness of eating disorders. My Heather did not die for nothing, I cannot believe her death didn't have as much of a substantial purpose as her life did. She will live on in me and all those her loved her, and all those who will be helped by the fight to erase the scourge that is an eating disorder." - Debbie Begeny
