TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Errin Mendibles has been through a lot trying to find her teenage daughter some sort of help in Tucson after discovering she had an eating disorder.
It all started on a family vacation when she noticed her daughter Bella was looking extremely thin in a bathing suit. When she got back home, she noticed there were no resources in Tucson that would take people under the age of 18.
“I never felt sad about living in Tucson ever.... I love Tucson. This is where I was born and raised— But, for once I had to look outside of my hometown to find help for my child," said Mendibles.
The Mendibles family traveled to Denver for treatment. With travel and food costs adding up, she decided it was time to take a stand.
“It's hard when there is nothing here and creating something literally from nothing is incredibly hard," she said. “We named her eating disorder "Ed" we don't let "Ed" win, we don't let the eating disorder voice get loud."
Mendibles created a non-profit in Tucson called Bella Vita just months after her daughter's health scare. The goal is to help eating disorder patients under 25 years old with peer support services for free— something the Mendibles family says they wish they had when Bella was struggling.
This mission has helped the Mendibles family recover, but they tell KGUN9 there is still work to be done. For more information on how to help the non-profit, visit their website or call (520) 800-3723.
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Brooke Chau is a reporter for KGUN 9. She was a part of Fresno State's newscast, Fresno State Focus and interned at KFSN-ABC30 in Fresno, CA before coming to KGUN 9. Share your story ideas and important issues with Brooke by emailing brooke.chau@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
