A 5'7" anorexic actress who once weighed a mere '40- something' pounds and was on the verge of death has made a miraculous transformation and put on almost all of the weight she lost as part of her recovery following her battle with anorexia nervosa.
Rachael Farrokh, 37, from San Clemente, California, made headlines in May after posting a video detailing her decade long struggle with the disease. After well-wishers raised nearly $200,000 in online donations for her, she was able to tackle her growing medical bills and seek life-saving treatment.
Less than sixth months after being bedridden and almost too gaunt to speak, the aspiring actress-turned-activist has gained back much of the weight she lost, telling NBC4 News that she is now dedicated to helping others with the disease.
'I have a huge family and it is called the entire world,' she explained.
Rachel and her husband Rod Edmondson, who quit his job to become his wife's 24-hour caregiver when her condition worsened, were among the hundreds of people who marched in Washington D.C. for the second annual March Against Eating Disorders on Wednesday where she explained why certain treatments failed her.
'My body wasn't responding to any of the treatment because they didn't understand that the brain had to come along with the body,' she told NBC4.
When she was ill, the eating disorder survivor sought treatment from numerous facilities, first in Denver, then in California, and finally at a clinic in Portugal - a decision that has made all the difference in her ongoing recovery.
'I was finally treated with respect, and I didn't know that I deserved it,' she said.
Although she is still frail and and has difficulty standing on her own, Rachael has made an amazing transformation and is looking to use her public recognition to help other families who are asking congress to mandate insurance coverage of inpatient care for people with eating disorders.
'I have so many people backing me now, and I have a platform to actually create this awareness, and to sit on the sidelines is impossible for me any longer,' Ms Farrokh said.
Dr. M. Duarte, the medical doctor in charge of Ms Farrokh's case, wrote a post on her Facebook page earlier this week, explaining that she is walking for 15 minutes a day to gradually build up her leg muscles and improve her balance.
'Rachael is at a safer place both medically and physically now, though she has a long way yet to go,' the doctor explained.
And in August, she took to her Facebook page to praise the center in Portugal for helping fuel her recovery.
'Their methodology of love and support to make the patient feel safe is something I had never been exposed to; it had only been the reward/punishment methods in all my past experiences with treatment,' she wrote.
'I have discovered safety and the feeling of security is essential for my recovery.'
Ms Farrokh's struggle with anorexia first came to light when she uploaded her first video to YouTube, pleading with viewers to help her conquer her 'very severe kind of anorexia' by donating 'anything you can'.
In the first video, a gaunt-looking Ms Farrokh said: 'I've been suffering from this for quite a while now. I'm five-[foot]-seven, 40-something pounds and no hospitals will even take me at this point.
'There's one hospital across the country [Denver Health Medical Center] that can help, and my chances are very slim. We need your help. Rod is now my 24-hour caregiver.
'In order for us to get [to the hospital that can help]...and I'm not one to ever ask for help...I need your help, otherwise I don't have a shot. And I'm ready to get better.'
After sharing her first video with the world, Ms Farrokh sought treatment at home before eventually being accepted into the the UC San Diego Medical Center and later the center in Portugal.
However, Ms Farrokh's struggle has been an uphill battle as the Denver Health Medical Center - the only hospital that had initially agreed to treat Rachael apparently concluded it was too risky for her to be flown there.
But Ms Farrokh and her husband persevered and have been candidly chronicling her recovery ever since; earlier this year he uploaded several videos of his wife, including one of her meeting Chopper the Biker Dog, a Boston terrier that visits hospitals.
In one of the videos, Rachael was captured using a specialized machine to stand up - something she had not been able to do since her decade-long disorder severely declined, leaving her bed-bound.
With a harness around her back and a nurse beside her, the patient visibly strained and gritted her teeth as she pulled herself to her feet. Mr Edmondson captioned the footage: '#determination.'
He told his Facebook friends of his wife: 'Even though she has been working daily through a lot of pain, she has kept her promise and is fighting hard. We thank you for your encouraging words.'
A few weeks before that Rachael posted a video on YouTube thanking well-wishers for their donations - now totaling more than $199,000 - which she said had given her 'a chance to live'.
In the YouTube video, Ms Farrokh revealed that the $185,902 raised by members of the public had paid for a 'handpicked' team of medics to treat her at her bedside in Southern California.
Sitting in her bed with a black vest top exposing her tiny frame, she told viewers: 'Hi, everyone. It's me, Rachael. I want to thank you all for everything you are doing for us. It's been so overwhelmingly good in our lives. And I actually have a chance to live. What you guys have done has been amazing.'
'Because of you guys, I was able to see the doctor again. She instructed me on what the proper care right now for me is - to stay here. And she arranged for having a handpicked team of what I need to be brought here at my bedside, until I can build up to get to the treatment I can get to.
'But right now, the treatment that I need is coming here - and it's because of you. And it's going to be a long recovery, could be three to five years... but with your support, I know I can do this.'
Ms Farrokh met Mr Edmondson, 41, while he was working as a personal trainer at her gym. Prior to her battle with anorexia, she was a beautiful, active, healthy woman, Mr Edmondson told ABC.
'She was a very active individual growing up, she was a perfectionist,' he said. On Facebook, Ms Farrokh has posted a photo of herself looking healthy in sports gear, taken many years ago.
'At first, it was innocent, I wanted to drop a few pounds to get better abs,' said Ms Farrokh, adding that a sudden job loss and a painful memory from her past had allowed her anorexia to creep in.
As her disorder 'spiraled out of control', the actress saw her weight drop from a healthy 125 pounds to a much lower figure. And just a few months ago, it had dropped even further - to below 50 pounds.
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