Hi! My name is Aubrey, and I’m 14 years old. I’m also an eating disorder survivor, and I’m using my voice to fight for something that means so much to me.

At an age when I should have been making memories, enjoying friendships, and just being a kid, I was fighting a battle that most people couldn’t see. I struggled with anorexia. What started as a struggle with food and how I saw myself became something that affected nearly every part of my life. I lost so much of the confidence, happiness, and freedom that every young girl deserves to experience.

My journey eventually led me to an out-of-state inpatient treatment. It was one of the hardest chapters of my life, but it also became the beginning of my recovery.

Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses. They don’t discriminate based on age, gender, body size, or background. Someone can be struggling with an eating disorder even if they look perfectly healthy on the outside.

I believe eating disorder education and awareness need to begin BEFORE a child reaches a crisis.

We teach kids about so many important health issues, but how often do we teach them how to recognize the signs of an eating disorder? How often do we talk about the dangers of diet culture, unhealthy body expectations, or the importance of asking for help?

I want to help change that.

Through my initiative, The M.O.R.E. in Me Project, I’m advocating for better eating disorder awareness, education, early intervention, and support for young people.

I’m asking schools, education leaders, and communities to take action by:

Increasing eating disorder education in schools, including age-appropriate lessons about warning signs, body image, and the importance of seeking help.

Training teachers, coaches, and school staff to recognize potential warning signs and respond with compassion.

Providing accessible resources so students and families know where to turn for professional help.

Promoting healthy body image and self-worth without focusing on weight, appearance, or harmful comparisons.

Encouraging early intervention so young people can receive help before their illness becomes more severe.

Kentucky children and teenagers who are struggling with eating disorders have limited access to specialized treatment, especially residential care. Some families are forced to travel out of state just to get their child the help they desperately need.

As a 14-year-old eating disorder survivor, I know how important treatment and family support are during recovery. No child should have to leave their home, family, and everything familiar behind just to get better.

I’m fighting to bring more specialized eating disorder treatment options to Kentucky so kids like me have a chance to heal closer to home.

Kentucky has already taken steps to improve insurance coverage for eating disorder treatment. But having insurance doesn’t help enough if the specialized treatment you need isn’t available nearby.

That’s why I’m asking Kentucky lawmakers, healthcare leaders, hospitals, insurance companies, and treatment providers to work together to expand specialized eating disorder treatment in Kentucky, including residential programs for children and teenagers.

Kentucky kids deserve a fighting chance. Recovery shouldn’t require leaving home.

Please sign my petition and help me show Kentucky leaders that our kids deserve better access to treatment.