Eating disorders in the spotlight

Twelve women from County Durham calling themselves The Purple Ladies will dedicate a year to raising funds for Beat, a charity that helps people suffering with eating disorders.

The move comes after Toni- Leigh Crawford, of Bishop Auckland, was diagnosed with bulimia, anorexia and body dysmorphic disorder, when she was 16.

She is recovering, but missed six months of school in the crucial run up to her GCSEs and was too unwell to attend her graduation prom.

Her mother, Nicola Mason, spoke of her heartbreak at seeing her 5ft 5in daughter shrink to less than 7st and doctors giving her only weeks to live.

She is now seeing a mental health worker and is celebrating achieving five Bs and two Cs in her exams.

“I didn’t believe I was ill,”

she said. “Everyone was telling me that I was, but I didn’t think I was.”

She has accepted she needs help and is counting on her mother for support.

“She was saying that she wanted to die, that she was fat, that she was ugly, that she had no friends,” said Mrs Mason, 34.

“It was awful. I was watching her lie on the couch, wasting away.”

Mrs Mason founded The Purple Ladies, named after her favourite colour, with a set of close-knit friends from Bishop Auckland, Spennymoor, Shildon and Middlesbrough.

Their mission is to lift the taboos surrounding eating disorders and inspire Toni- Leigh in her day-to-day struggle with her illnesses. With rock nights and sky dives among the events planned, Mrs Mason also hopes to send a positive message to other families affected by eating disorders.

The Ladies also want to hire Bishop Auckland Town Hall to re-stage Toni-Leigh’s prom night. “I want other families to get help,” said Mrs Mason.

“We were told to not keep it quiet. It is not the shameful secret that people think it is.”

The Purple Ladies have so far raised £150 with a raffle and a band night is planned for the Belvedere, in Kingsway, Bishop Auckland, on Friday, November 26, at 7pm. Tickets are £3.