Emily Program Client Recovers From Eating Disorder and Vows to Give Back

A recent article on Cleveland.com reports on varsity volleyball player Veronica Gehring who was diagnosed with anorexia during her junior season. It began with an obsession to “become faster on the court and a stronger volleyball player,” she said.

But soon she was exercising upwards of four times per day and barely eating anything at all. At times, she’d purge everything if she felt she ate too much.

After looking to The Emily Program – Cleveland for help, she was soon hospitalized with a heart rate of 28 beats per minute during the day, falling to 17 beats per minute while sleeping. She was refed in the hospital and later released. The following months were a whirlwind of doctor visits and checkups, but she found herself on the road to recovery.

Now more than a year later, she is back on the court and better and stronger than ever. At the publishing of this article, Gehring had 310 kills, 20 aces, 63 blocks, and 174 digs, an increase of 142 from her sophomore year. She leads the Chagrin Valley Conference Metro Division with a .398 hitting percentage and in kills.

Gehring doesn’t shy away from her eating disorder. In fact, it has helped shape her career goals.

“I’d like to go into psychology and end up giving back and helping people struggling with the same thing that I went through,” Gehring said. “It’s just an awesome feeling knowing that you can save someone’s life.”

Check out the full article, “Volleyball Central to Development of Eating Disorder and Recovery for Cuyahoga Heights Veronica Gehring.“