Lisa Curry's plea five years after daughter's death
A Triple Olympian who tragically lost her adult daughter five years ago is appealing for others to come forward so the root of the illness can be found.
Lisa Curry lost her 33-year-old daughter, Jaimi, in 2020 due to long term health challenges — including anorexia nervosa, which she had been battling for 18 years.
Now, she is using her voice to encourage 4000 adults with lived experiences of an eating disorder to take part in Eating Disorders Genetics Initiative 2 (EDGI2). The study aims to understand the genes that influences a person's risk factor when it comes to developing an eating disorder.
Curry, 63, said she is telling Jaimi's story to prevent another parent from losing their child like she did.
'It manipulated and tormented her, drained her of strength, and made it excruciating for our family,' she said.
'She was a beautiful young woman who had a quiet, fierce, and ongoing battle inside her. It broke my heart to see someone who I loved so much, go through so much pain.
'It's not until you lose someone that you, you know, you hold tighter. You love more; you want more.'
Curry said she thought the family had tried everything but nothing worked, adding there was no quick fix for eating disorders. The former competition swimmer said there was too little known about eating disorders — a myriad of illnesses that impacts over a million Australians.
Curry said it is still among the most stigmatised mental health conditions, and that those going through it deserve answers. She said the stigma prevents people from getting help.
Elise, 39, has struggled with anorexia for 23 years. At the age of 12, a family member commented on her 'pot belly'.
After spiralling into restrictive eating and compulsive exercise, the teenager was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa two years later – an illness that consumed every aspect of her teenage years. And, due to a history of mental illness in her family, it suggests a predisposition.
'It may have seemed harmless to them, but it was quietly devastating for me. It was a seed of self-consciousness I carried around for years,' she said.
Elise recalled she would do any type of exercise possible in a bid to create control.
'I went for long runs, spent hours at the gym, did sit-ups in my room – any form of exercise I could possibly do, I did.'
Now, she is four years into recovery — after experiencing two relapses previously.
She said: 'EDGI2 is so important to me, because the idea that we could identify someone who has a genetic predisposition to an eating disorder, and prevent them from enduring what I did, makes me very hopeful.'
Professor Nick Martin, who is the head of the Genetic Epidemiology Laboratory, QIMR Berghofer, and Lead Australian EDGI2 Investigator, said the study builds on a previous investigation, which found the first eight genes linked to anorexia.
'This discovery was completely unexpected, and requires urgent replication and further study to fully understand the pathways leading to anorexia nervosa,' Professor Martin, who is based in Brisbane, said.
'That's why a larger sample size is crucial, which is the aim of EDGI2. While rigorous research shows genes account for more than half the risk of eating disorders, we still lack understanding and accurate tools to predict their progression, or response to treatment.'
He said this study will have a large scale, with people from all over the world — which is needed as eating disorders impact people regardless of age, gender or cultural background.
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