Camilla Kuhns aka The Night Baker grew up in the Seattle area where she participated in activities like sports and dance. She graduated high school and then went off to complete a 4 year degree in Utah. But far from a normal life, Camilla has secretly battled an eating disorder for the last 18 years of her life. Her battle with her eating disorder started when she was 11 years old. Although she has been able to maintain it at different times in her life, another relapse was always just around the corner. In 2012 Camilla’s battle with her eating disorder is the worst it has ever been. At 5’8”, 98 lbs and her heart weakening, she is in a fight for her life. “So scared I can hardly breathe. I have to relinquish control. I have to relearn how to eat. I have to face an ugly past that I’ve worked so hard to hide and beat down.”
She has tried several outpatient programs, but the severity of her case requires inpatient treatment, which is expensive (treatment costs approximately $900 a day). Cost is the main reason she hasn’t entered treatment sooner, as it is not covered by insurance.
In an effort to help pay for her treatment, Camilla took to a creative, unlikely outlet. Baking, mostly at night when she couldn’t sleep. “…Baking keeps my mind occupied and my hands busy. It calms me down.” Friends, family, acquaintances and her blog followers started to take her delightful creations in exchange for donations towards her treatment. With the severity of her case, treatment was recommended for 4-6 months ($108,000-$150,000). It became clear that even with these generous donations, she was not going to be able to make enough to save her life by just baking. In October 2012 Camilla was admitted to the Center for Change in Orem, Utah. Though her family was able to secure her place in treatment, the financial burden is heavy.
Camilla made the hard decision to go public with her very personal battle with her mental illness by blogging about her struggles. Since going public Camilla’s blog and story has received media attention worldwide, and she is starting to see that she has purpose in that she is helping others. In her words “Writing the blog can be scary sometimes, but I like that I’m giving a voice to a widespread problem.”
“My family members are making so many sacrifices to help me financially. I feel a tremendous amount of guilt. This is my attempt to help myself so the financial burden doesn’t fall on them.
I’m asking for your help. Any donation helps. I promise I will NOT squander this gift or this opportunity. And when I recover I plan to pay it forward and help another girl (or more!) on their recovery journey. So many women need help and can’t afford it.
Thank you so much for reading,
Love, Camilla ”