I am a survivor of the Eating Recovery Center (ERC), where I was admitted in June 2021. From day one, my basic human rights were violated. The center denied me access to essential needs such as showering and standing for more than ten seconds. They isolated me from my family, prohibiting any contact with my parents for the first 72 hours and refusing to let them intervene on my behalf. 

The abuse escalated further, with physical assault by an employee and threats of force-feeding through tubes if we refused to eat. In some instances, if food fell on the floor, we were compelled to eat it off there - a degrading practice that no person should ever endure.

This is not just about me; it's about all those who have suffered. Some kids' mail was stolen, kids weren't allowed to call their parents, and the facility was understaffed and undertrained, they listened in on phone calls and would hang up if we asked for help, they didn't care unless the condition was fatal, we were forced to clean our puke, had 15 minutes to get all of our nightly chores done, they wouldn't let us go to the bathroom it got to the point where I soiled my pants and had to sit in it until they unlocked the bathroom, there was solitary confinement, while I was there the unit was put into lockdown three times, kids would attempt suicide due to the conditions, our items were often "lost" or ruined, I didn't go outside for 6 weeks many kids went longer, we finger painted and weren't aloud to wash our hands, I was put into an involuntary hold ( my parents never consented) to get blood drawn, parents are lied to and brainwashed, I was pumped full of ativan a very strong narcotic and sedative. Those examples only cover the surface. Personally, my eating disorder never went away it was just traumatized out of me. It is finally time I am speaking my truth along with so many others, it is time the stigma ends along with the cycle of abuse and trauma that has left many patients like myself scarred.

We need your support in demanding that authorities shut down ERC immediately. This petition aims not only at preventing future patients from experiencing similar horrors but also at holding accountable those responsible for our suffering.

Please sign this petition today and stand with us against institutionalized abuse in healthcare facilities like ERC. Together, we can ensure no one else has to endure what we went through.