Cork mother whose daughter died of eating disorder tells politicians: 'Families are being torn apart'

A Cork woman whose daughter died of an eating disorder has said the HSE and politicians are letting down families, who are “being torn apart” and “at breaking point” because of the lack of services.

Paula Crotty told the Oireachtas health committee that her daughter, Jennifer, died almost three years ago. “She was one of 80 thought to die from an eating disorder every year,” Ms Crotty said.

“The facts are the Government and the HSE are right now leaving this population down. There are so many others out there that are devastated, and the services aren’t there.”

An eating disorder can “break every relationship that’s around”, she said.

Jennifer needed long-term treatment in England. “Jennifer went to London for 10 months, so we were back and forth. I have four other children,” Ms Crotty said. “It’s trying to balance that and give the same time to each one of them, which actually you just can’t do.

“My husband would go one week, and I’d go the next week. It just tears families apart, the stress and strain, let alone the financial costs of being able to do that.”

Awareness programmes in schools should also be available for parents, she urged.

“I’m a nurse, my husband is a doctor,” she said. “Did we see this coming for my daughter? The answer is no. Even looking back, did I see it coming? The answer is I really didn’t.”

Ms Crotty is the founder of CARED Ireland, a voluntary organisation that represents parents and carers of people with eating disorders.

She warned: “We hear daily from families at breaking point.”

She also called for deaths related to eating disorders to be recorded as such.

“Mortality rates for anorexia nervosa are up to 11-12 times higher than those of peers without the disorder. The suicide risk is 56 times higher,” she said.

“We don’t hear about these deaths for a variety of reasons. Often they are recorded as suicide, medical complications. So many parents are too traumatised to talk about it.”

Harriet Parsons, chief executive of eating disorders association Bodywhys, said its helpline responded to almost 1,300 calls in 2024.

More than a third related to people under 18, while almost a quarter were people over 36.