How brave Brisbane teen Lily beat her severe eating disorder

Ice-cream, hot chips and nuggets – that was all this Brisbane teen could eat due to a serious eating disorder – she is sharing her story for the first time.

A brave Brisbane teen who had to be fed by a tube and ate nothing but ice-cream and nuggets is for the first time sharing her battle with a serious eating disorder.

Lily was diagnosed with Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) when she was nine – essentially she had a phobia of eating.

When she turned 10 Lily had a nasogastric tube fitted and then 12 months later a PEG to ensure her nutritional needs were meet.

Her aunt Amy said Lily was highly anxious about trying any news foods which led to many medical issues.

“She had low weight, was dizzy, low energy and was reliant on the PEG feeding to maintain nutrition,” Amy said.

Brisbane teen Lily with Children’s Health Queensland senior dietitian Ashleigh Hamilton, who helped Lily battle an eating disorder.

“Her lifestyle was compromised in that she couldn’t participate in sports, her school attendance suffered and she was frequently in and out of hospital due to her low weight.”

At 16 Lily entered Jacaranda Place. The Chermside facility, which opened in May 2020, provides extended treatment for young people facing severe or complex mental health issues.

By this point Lily would only eat ice cream, hot chips and chicken nuggets.

It was here she met Children’s Health Queensland senior dietitian Ashleigh Hamilton.

“For someone like Lily, there were some ups and downs during the journey. Following the downs, we were able to see Lily find her way back on her own,” Ms Hamilton said.

“For us, that’s a really good sign she can be independent.

“Everyone here at Jacaranda place is really proud of what she’s achieved. She’s a very

resilient young woman. She’s put so much of herself into her recovery.”

And now after 10 months in Jacaranda Place Lily is ready to leave and excited to go back to school.

Lily had her PEG removed at the end of last year and is currently keeping up her nutrition and enjoying being a normal teenager.

Amy said Ms Hamilton played a vital role in Lily’s recovery.

“They would work together on food and eating food. It would be as simple as Ashleigh would say ‘we are going to tackle an apple today’ and they would work through it,” Amy said.

“She gave her the understanding about nutrition and why she needs to have this sort of food.

“The trust between them meant Lily felt she could tell Ashleigh anything and she would really listen and understand.” 

Ms Hamilton was awarded the Juiced TV Super Hero Award, sponsored by QSuper, for her work with Lily.

Amy said it was because Ms Hamilton “went above and beyond” for Lily.

“I feel the future for Lily is bright. She feels like a different person,” Amy said.