Holding on to hope and taking a new path leads to Boston

Holding on to hope and taking a new path leads to Boston

During the 40 years that ‘ED’ dominated my mind, and interrupted my life, little did I think that one dayI would stand on the stage at an Academy for Eating Disorders Conference, (ICED, Boston 2015) and receive an award, together with Joan Riederer, Judy and Laura Collins…for happily doing what I feel is my life mission.

Joan, Judy, Laura and June at AED, ICED, Boston 2015

I thank everyone who has believed in me, when I did not believe in myself, and who has guided me along the way. I feel very blessed, very grateful, very happy! Always hold on to hope!

Today I am a story-teller: a ‘voice’ for people with eating disorders, a translator for the clinicians who are seeking to help the patient with an eating disorder, and a disseminating avenue for the researchers who are seeking to provide answers and create effective new treatments.

Other news: After three full-on days of conferencing and meetings, I have plopped into my room after dancing (translation: ‘letting it all out’) at the social event that brings the AED ICED to a close for another year.  Super fun. Nearly everyone on the dance floor (impressively so!). Tomorrow I start the journey home…Boston to Melbourne. 

An interesting snippet is that we have 34 Aussies at this conference…this is heart-warming and inspiring, as Australia is a long way from Boston (from Perth for instance, 11,000 km) and our population is small compared with others. Shows we are enthusiastic about and committed to improving eating disorder care. More than 1000 attendees at the conference in total. Now, it is always nice to have dreams and goals…so I plan to start saving for the San Francisco conference in 2016 and Prague in 2017.

Look out ED, the AED is  shining the light around-the-world on you!