Shining a Light: Generous Gift Supports Education for Eating Disorder Treatment

Almost 30 million Americans will have an eating disorder in their lifetime, with one person dying as a direct consequence of disordered eating every hour, according to research shared by the National Eating Disorder Association.

These figures demonstrate the importance of educating healthcare providers on the signs of disordered eating in patients, especially children and teens. Now, thanks to a generous gift from Lisa’s Light of Hope, this critical effort is becoming a reality.

Led by Dr. Bruce Waslick, Medical Chief of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the team is creating a video library that can be shared with providers, outlining the roles of psychiatry, family-based treatment, nutrition, social work, nursing, and medical management for patients struggling with eating disorders. The goal of this video series is to educate various providers on potential signs and symptoms of patients presenting with eating disorders to direct them to the best care options.

This project aligns with the mission of Lisa’s Light of Hope, which strives to educate the community, raise awareness, and support treatment to fight against eating disorders. Lisa’s Light of Hope was created in memory of West Springfield native, Lisa Calabrese, who tragically lost her battle with an eating disorder in 2009 at 21. Lisa’s mom, Ann Calabrese, and their family and friends have hosted golf tournaments in her memory since 2009 and used the funding to raise awareness.

“Navigating this disease is a full-time job. During Lisa’s time fighting this disease, we had no idea where to go or how to get help,” shared Ann. “If we had some resources to help us and a medical team to advise us, it might have made a difference in our outcome. It’s because of these reasons we decided to create Lisa’s Light of Hope. We wanted to bring eating disorders out of the darkness and into the light.”

Ann remembers Lisa as a ray of light herself. Bringing a smile and big heart into the world, she was often the go-to for friends to gather advice and share a listening ear.

“After she passed, we received letters, and they would say ‘she told me this’ or ‘she was the one who stood by me during this difficult time.’ These were things we never knew about her,” said Ann. “She didn’t come home and tell us all these wonderful things she did, she just did them. It was in her heart – she had a good, good heart.”

An Opportunity to Educate

For Dr. Waslick, being able to spread this information and educate team members widely is about improving the quality of care and saving lives.

“We’ve worked hard over the last few years to educate our teams. We are a teaching hospital with a pediatrics and child psychiatry residency, and we have this incredible opportunity to educate those in the early stages of their career as well as our current providers,” said Dr. Waslick. “This gift gave us the chance to make this project a reality and reach farther with this knowledge than we have been able to before.”

Ann and Dr. Waslick both shared advice for families who have a child struggling with disordered eating.

“Listen, be there for them, and don’t blame yourself. Just let them know they’re loved and that you will always be there for them, no matter what,” said Ann.

Dr. Waslick echoed these sentiments, and encouraged families to talk to their pediatrician if they have concerns.

“When somebody develops an eating disorder, there’s no one single factor involved. There’s a lot of things, from a biological, psychological, and environmental aspect,” said Dr. Waslick. “If I were to write a prescription for parents, I would say don’t blame yourselves, talk to your child’s pediatrician and ask for an evaluation, and be there for one another other as a family, seeking out external support when needed.”

The generosity of Lisa’s Light of Hope will benefit children in our community, better prepare providers to identify markers of eating disorders in pediatric patients and serve as another step toward helping families.

“This disease is not going away. It’s up to us to spread the word, raise awareness, and help to move the needle in the right direction,” said Ann. “We want to make our community strong and help as many people as possible.”

Learn how you can support work like this through Baystate Health Foundation.