ALVA Woodpeckers build home in Alva woman’s house You may have heard of squatters, but this woman is dealing with squawkers. Who needs a rooster to wake up when you have woodpeckers?
FORT MYERS Man claims he was trapped in a high-rise for 5 days A 77-year-old man wants justice after he claims he spent days trapped on the 24th floor of a high-rise apartment building.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte Correctional prisoner arrested for death of another inmate State Attorney Amira Fox convened a grand jury, which decided to move forward with a case against a Charlotte Correctional inmate.
SANIBEL Construction near Dairy Queen eagle nest on Sanibel raises concerns While many eagle nests may be a bit difficult to see, one nest has always been a favorite for Sanibel residents and tourists.
The environmental effects of artificial sweeteners Experts are studying how the foods we eat affect the environment, especially after we flush our waste down the toilet.
Victim reacts to man exposing himself to her Ring camera You get a notification on your phone from your ring camera app that someone is at the door, only to find out it is someone exposing themselves. It’s the last thing victim Maria Kivi wanted or expected to see last week.
LEE COUNTY The art of capturing your eye and drawing you in How do you capture young, hip, trendy, fun, movers and shakers, all in a pose? We take you behind the scenes of a Gulfshore Life cover shoot.
FORT MYERS The lives of two SJC Boxers changed in the ring Two SJC Boxers, Mario Nunez and Arbon Kurtishi, help each other in the ring as each of them had their lives changed because of boxing.
FORT MYERS Chlamydia cases rising sharply in Lee County If you think about a crowded space- something with more than 250 people- if it’s in Lee county, statistically one person has chlamydia.
SANIBEL Sanibel resort day passes hope to get more business on the island A pass will allow vacationers to hang out at a Sanibel beach club for a day in hopes of drumming up some business.
Voting equipment tested ahead of Lee County elections Voting equipment is being tested in Lee County. This is to ensure all ballots are printed and counted correctly for the upcoming election.
Collier County teen assaulted after leaving party The teen has been charged and the sheriff’s office said they’re aware that many believe felony charges are in order, but under Florida law, there are very specific criteria that must be met for felony charges to be filed.
WINK weather team watching tropical wave over Atlantic Ocean The Weather Authority is watching a tropical disturbance over the Central Atlantic Ocean.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral drug bust leads investigators to fake fentanyl, cash and guns Cape Coral man arrest on drug charges. Investigators said they found, guns, drugs, and more than $32,000 in Richard Riley’s home.
NAPLES Naples youth flag football team to compete in Ohio tournament This weekend, the Naples Lunatics Green will compete in the Superhero Sports tournament in Canton, Ohio.
ALVA Woodpeckers build home in Alva woman’s house You may have heard of squatters, but this woman is dealing with squawkers. Who needs a rooster to wake up when you have woodpeckers?
FORT MYERS Man claims he was trapped in a high-rise for 5 days A 77-year-old man wants justice after he claims he spent days trapped on the 24th floor of a high-rise apartment building.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte Correctional prisoner arrested for death of another inmate State Attorney Amira Fox convened a grand jury, which decided to move forward with a case against a Charlotte Correctional inmate.
SANIBEL Construction near Dairy Queen eagle nest on Sanibel raises concerns While many eagle nests may be a bit difficult to see, one nest has always been a favorite for Sanibel residents and tourists.
The environmental effects of artificial sweeteners Experts are studying how the foods we eat affect the environment, especially after we flush our waste down the toilet.
Victim reacts to man exposing himself to her Ring camera You get a notification on your phone from your ring camera app that someone is at the door, only to find out it is someone exposing themselves. It’s the last thing victim Maria Kivi wanted or expected to see last week.
LEE COUNTY The art of capturing your eye and drawing you in How do you capture young, hip, trendy, fun, movers and shakers, all in a pose? We take you behind the scenes of a Gulfshore Life cover shoot.
FORT MYERS The lives of two SJC Boxers changed in the ring Two SJC Boxers, Mario Nunez and Arbon Kurtishi, help each other in the ring as each of them had their lives changed because of boxing.
FORT MYERS Chlamydia cases rising sharply in Lee County If you think about a crowded space- something with more than 250 people- if it’s in Lee county, statistically one person has chlamydia.
SANIBEL Sanibel resort day passes hope to get more business on the island A pass will allow vacationers to hang out at a Sanibel beach club for a day in hopes of drumming up some business.
Voting equipment tested ahead of Lee County elections Voting equipment is being tested in Lee County. This is to ensure all ballots are printed and counted correctly for the upcoming election.
Collier County teen assaulted after leaving party The teen has been charged and the sheriff’s office said they’re aware that many believe felony charges are in order, but under Florida law, there are very specific criteria that must be met for felony charges to be filed.
WINK weather team watching tropical wave over Atlantic Ocean The Weather Authority is watching a tropical disturbance over the Central Atlantic Ocean.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral drug bust leads investigators to fake fentanyl, cash and guns Cape Coral man arrest on drug charges. Investigators said they found, guns, drugs, and more than $32,000 in Richard Riley’s home.
NAPLES Naples youth flag football team to compete in Ohio tournament This weekend, the Naples Lunatics Green will compete in the Superhero Sports tournament in Canton, Ohio.
Jennifer McCurry as a teenager and as an adult. Credit: WINK News While most 12-year-olds are obsessed with a sport, friends or the latest TikTok challenge, Jennifer McCurry was obsessed with food. Her battle with anorexia nearly killed her, and she’s sharing her story for the first time since she was hospitalized. We can all relate to the need to fit in. For McCurry, who’s bravely digging into her past, that need nearly became deadly. “There was a desperate need to kind of want to fit in,” McCurry said. “I felt if I was thinner, I might fit in with, you know, the popular kids a little better. If I was thinner, I would like myself more, and it just kind of grew into an obsession.” Pictures don’t show her pain, but at 12, McCurry was anxious and depressed. To feel in control, she exercised constantly and limited what she ate. “I had a little cereal, maybe a granola bar, a half [of] a sandwich,” McCurry said. Controlling one’s diet at a young age is more common than you think. 90% of anorexia nervosa cases are women between 12 and 25, and psychiatrist Dr. Omar Rieche, chief medical officer at Elite Behavioral Therapy, says there’s often a common factor. “They are perfectionistic by nature,” Rieche said. “These are individuals that are high-risk for anorexia, because they’re usually very bright, more females than males.” “I was losing my hair,” McCurry said. “You just don’t care anymore. And you just, you don’t actually want to eat.” “The mortality rate is very high,” Rieche said. “When you look at suicide and completed suicide or death from complications, let’s say of arrhythmia and cardiac arrest, it can get really high: 15%, even higher.” At 78 pounds, the young teen ended up in the hospital. But for McCurry, everything changed after a visit from a priest with a message. “‘You have angels all around you, and you are going to be just fine,'” McCurry said. “And I was like, ‘Really? Really?’ And then I thought, ‘Yeah, really, I am. He’s right. I gotta get out of here.'” McCurry poured her attention into cheerleading, horses and helping others battling anorexia. In her home, 30 years later, you’d never know of her battles. The jewelry buyer who’s made a living out of bright, shiny things has a bright, shiny home full of love, where she’s surrounded by animals and two little boys. “I think, at 47, I’m in a good place now, I do, and that’s why my selfish time is over,” McCurry said. “This is my opportunity to go back there and to that girl that was helping those other young adolescents that were struggling with self-esteem and eating disorders. This is my turn, now, to maybe on a bigger level give back.” McCurry is now working with the organization Kids’ Minds Matter to help raise awareness for our children’s mental health care. As a mother and someone who lives with these struggles, she feels it’s her obligation to help. May is Mental Health Awareness Month. If you need help, reach out: The National Alliance on Mental Illness has resources for you. WINK News anchor Lindsey Sablan sat down with Dr. Reese VanCamp, psychiatric/mental health nurse practitioner at Elite DNA Therapy Services, to talk about eating disorders. Submit Copyright ©2024 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.