My name is Joel Lamy and I'm a 33-year-old male with anorexia - a severe mental illness.

My BMI is currently 13 and has been dropping for some time. I want to try and get better, but any attempts to gain weight are hindered by severe IBS and Functional Neurological Disorder which make it really painful to eat food and leave me feeling really weak and ill. I have no choice but to rely on my family to care for me.

I have been referred by my GP to the Maudsley Hospital in London where they have a team of professionals who understand anorexia, IBS and FND. This has given my family hope that I may be able to get the help I need to improve. But the referral has been blocked by the Adult Eating Disorder Service at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge.

This is despite the fact they lack the specialist team to help me and discharged me last year after a traumatic spell under their care which left me terrified of being seen by them again.

Unless Addenbrooke's stops blocking the referral, the likelihood is my weight will continue to drop and my organs will suffer permanent damage. 

The situation has become critical but Addenbrooke's are refusing to budge, and my family are in a desperate state as they fear for my life.

I am urging people to sign and share this petition to try and persuade them to change their minds and give me a chance of making a recovery before it is too late.

There have been many people who have died from this horrible illness and I fear I will soon add to that numer.

I have written about my struggles with anorexia, and the traumatic spell under the care of Addenbrooke's at: https://allpainnogain.blogspot.com/2025/02/why-is-nhs-stopping-me-from-receiving.html

Anyone struggling with anorexia can contact the charity Beat by visiting: https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/