Kelly Donnell | "Leave it Behind: Overcoming an Eating Disorder"
- Stephanie Ann
- Sep 17, 2017
- 2 min read
Kelly has been a friend of mine since the day we met almost five years ago. If there's one thing she's good at, it's giving back. She is there when you need her and is someone I can truly count on. When I asked her to be a part of You Matter Stories and share her story, it meant the world to me when she agreed. I knew she had something great to share with the world and that anyone who knew her bravery would be inspired.
I didn't know much about Kelly at first, but over time she opened up about many of her struggles. She told me about her past relationships and how they shaped her and made her into the woman she is today. I admire her bravery to have endured the trials she did, and even more so now that she has up and moved out of Southern California to a small town in North Carolina. She continues to amaze by how she gets by, always finding some sort of way to survive and still give her all to everyone around her.
She is one the most giving person I have met. When she shared about her eating disorder, it made me wonder if her soft and kind heart was the reason she fell into the deep pit of lies from past relationships. Not because it was her fault, but because she took a lot of things to heart and it got the best of her. I know from experience that I'm guilty of very similar things. Because of Kelly's soft heart, however, she is also able to be one of the sweetest friends to be around. On the other hand, you know she'll fight for you as your friend and I admire her fearless attitude.
Although she endured so much, I have been able to witness the woman she is today. She has moved on from the past struggles and continues to be strong and inspirational to others around her. She is someone worth knowing and I am honored to have her in my life and on my side. When I think of Kelly, I think of all the moments we spent laughing in her car because we couldn't decide what to do. We bonded over social anxiety because we completely understood each other in that area.
I hope her video story (posted below) can help others who might have gone through the same thing to have courage in getting help and moving forward. Kelly now lives on her own with her dog and continues to overcome each new obstacle that comes her way. And I am so proud of her.
If you have an inspirational story to share alongside of Kelly's, please do leave a comment below and share with us how you overcome something that could have potentially ruined or taken your life if you let it get out of hand. We'd love to hear from all the warriors out there!
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