An online fundraiser has been launched to help raise money for 46-year-old Algarve resident Nelia Bosman who will be travelling to South Africa soon to receive potentially life-saving treatment for anorexia, which prevents her from leading a normal life.
Nelia is South African and has been living in the Algarve for 16 years, having already acquired Portuguese citizenship. But for many years, she has been battling this illness which has brought her to a point where her family “fears for her life”.
“She is, sadly, not managing to beat this monster and we, her family, are asking for help. It took great courage from her to agree to do this, to be exposed to friends and family, locals of our area, and everybody out there in the world. But she realised something had to be done,” says Nelia’s sister-in-law Zenrika Bosman.
“Health problems related to anorexia means ongoing medical treatment, doctors and hospital bills. For Nelia, constant nausea, dizziness and extreme fatigue is making normal life impossible.
“She cannot maintain a full-time job, so she does not have a steady income. Her eating disorder is taking its toll, causing severe depression, putting more strain on her mind, body and soul. Her organs are not functioning well and are near the point of shutting down. She is very ill,” Zenrika explains, adding that obtaining treatment for anorexia in Portugal is difficult.
“There are no exclusive facilities for this treatment and the few private mental health clinics that accommodate patients suffering from anorexia are very inaccessible due to extreme costs,” Zenrika says.
While Nelia has been treated at a public hospital in Lisbon, where she was able to gain short-term weight, “no long-term solution was found”.
“As soon as she got out, she just fell back into a downward spiral to the point that we are now in fear for her life. Anorexia is a horrible, misunderstood disease that is not easily treated or cured. It subtly steals your life away from you in all aspects and, over the years, you become mentally, physically and financially exhausted, drained and depleted,” Zenrika explains.
Shortly after the fundraiser was launched, Nelia was accepted into the Montrose Manor eating disorder clinic in Cape Town, Africa. So far, the money raised covers Nelia’s plane ticket and first month of treatment, but to be adequately treated, Nelia should remain at Montrose for at least three months.
As Zenrika says, “there is no quick fix for this complex illness”.
Donations can be made at https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-nelia. A heartbreaking video of Nelia requesting help can also be viewed on YouTube at https://youtu.be/E9sNjHD2hnE.
michael.bruxo@algarveresident.com
