9-Year-Old With ‘Frustrating’ Eating Disorder Nearly Starved to Death – ‘It Was Tormenting Her’

@myarfidlife/TikTok

When we become moms, we want the best for our children. We hope they will live happy and healthy lives. But parenthood is certainly not without its challenges, and sometimes, our children present us with something completely unexpected. When a mom named Michelle gave birth to her daughter, Hannah, she had no idea the path the pair would soon be on. Hannah, now 9, has a rare eating disorder called avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder, or ARFID.

Hannah has extreme fear and anxiety when it comes to eating. With the help of her mom, she’s faced the challenges and created a large social media following, @myarfidlife, along the way. Michelle and Hannah hope to bring awareness to ARFID and help people understand she’s not just a “picky eater.”

Hannah's eating habits took a turn very early on.

@myarfidlife Eating is necessary for survival. But, when you don’t have an appetite or an interest in eating, it makes things very challenging. Distractions are very helpful. I know that many people don’t understand that, and see it as being rude or disrespectful. Watching a video on the phone/tablet, playing a game, or even drawing, really helps with my anxiety around eating. It helps me escape the scary feelings I have with food. I still need constant reminders to take a bite because I don’t enjoy eating, and I’m usually thinking about something else and I forget what I’m doing. When I’m doing exposures I don’t use distractions because I really need to focus on what I’m doing and feel all of the feelings when I’m in that moment. But I also know I need to eat, so my parents let me use distractions sometimes, just so that I can put some food in my body. It’s very easy to judge others when you don’t know their situations. I do what works for me and my family and that’s ok. Don’t let other peoples opinions on how you do things get to you. As long as I’m eating, it’s progress. #makingchanges #distractions #eating #dontjudge #mindyourbusiness #dowhatworksforyou #challenge #iamme #restaurant #olivegarden #pastalover #pasta #phone #bekind #noshame #understanding #arfidrecovery #arfidawareness #survival #fear #scary #picky #parenting @Olive Garden ♬ Little Things - Tiqta

According to Fox News, Hannah was a “great eater” as a baby, but things changed with the introduction to solid foods. Instead of trying new things, Hannah refused.

“She would protest, and she would spit the food out, or she would swat it out of my hand, or she would turn her head in the other direction,” her mom recalled. The behaviors were not concerning, as many young children are picky. As she got older, however, Hannah became very selective.

At 3 years old, Hannah would eat only a few foods.

Michelle noticed, however, that Hannah was starting to refuse even the foods she once enjoyed. The doctors weren’t overly concerned, as she was still growing. But after the COVID-19 pandemic, things changed dramatically.

“It was a big struggle to get her to eat anything at all,” Michelle said. “She had no interest in food whatsoever, and her growth started to slow down.”

Hannah’s condition got worse, and her mother soon realized it was more than just disliking food. It also affected her mental health.

“She couldn’t handle being around food,” Michelle explained. “She couldn’t handle sitting at the dinner table with us. She couldn’t handle the smell when I was cooking something in the kitchen.”

The family finally received a diagnosis.

@myarfidlife Do you like eggnog? #holidays #eggnog #fyp ♬ original sound - Myarfidlife - Hannah

Michelle explained to Fox News that she and Hannah found a therapist who specializes in ARFID.

“I remember saying to her, ‘She has very few foods that she’s willing to eat. And one of the foods is sour cream and onion Pringles, but they have to be in a special packaging. She refuses to eat the Pringles that come in the large container. They have to come in the individual small containers.'”

After explaining the struggle, the therapist told Michelle that Hannah had classic ARFID behaviors, and she could help.

Recording videos served as a breakthrough for Hannah.

ARFID negatively affected her health, and she began to become so malnourished she risked having to use a feeding tube. So, Michelle proposed taking a video of Hannah drinking her protein shake to send to her therapist, she told the news outlet.

This simple suggestion changed everything for Hannah. She loved hearing her therapist’s feedback after watching her try new things. Michelle and Hannah decided to take things online for others to see.

Their social media accounts bring awareness to ARFID.

@myarfidlife There was a time that I couldn’t even go to my grandparents house because my anxiety was so bad. It was my grandmas birthday and I was excited to celebrate with her. Many of my family members are following my journey and have learned so much about what the challenges I face. This has helped me a lot because now they are more understanding of my condition and I don’t feel pressured. Also being able to be in control has helped me so much. It’s so great to be around people who don’t make comments like “just try it” “just take one bite” “if she’s hungry, she’ll eat” “make her sit at the table until she’s done”. I am a lot more willing to explore when I don’t have the feeling of pressure or when I feel like I need to make someone happy. #relatable #foodchallenge #birthday #family #grandparents #holiday #familygathering #dinner #pressure #forced #understood #tasting #interest #curious #mentalhealth #voice #safe #happydance #fyp ♬ original sound - Myarfidlife - Hannah

With millions of followers across platforms, Hannah inspires those struggling with ARFID while educating others.

“Hannah’s grown so much physically and emotionally. Her confidence has soared,” Michelle said. “She’s a completely different kid … There’s curiosity and motivation and excitement – definitely still a lot of anxiety, but she’s working through it.”

Hannah loves the positive impact she’s making on herself and others. “It makes me really happy because I know I’m helping other people,” she told Fox News. “And I’m also helping myself, too.”