Tea Time.

In a packed ballroom at the Fort Garry Hotel the most beautiful and bravest girl I know got up in front of 450 people and told them about her struggle with anorexia and bulimia.

Emily Doer held her IPP event this weekend. A tea party called Tea for E|D.

I can't even imagine the courage it took to walk up to a podium and tell people that you battled eating disorders through your late teens and early twenties.

Emily did all of this and more with so much class. It was such a well put together event I don't think Emily could have asked for anything more.

The keynote speaker was a perfect fit for the occasion and such an inspiration to listen to. The dancer was moving, and the singer made everyone in the room feel beautiful with her songs.

Emily was so busy all afternoon running around to every table making sure to thank every person that had come to support her event for such a great cause. Not because she felt she had to, but because that's just Emily, someone who will go out of her way to acknowledge you.

She did interviews with major Winnipeg news outlets and held herself together for all of them. Although there was some good b-roll of her "snotting" as she calls it.

The publicity her event got is something most people could only ever hope for. It was well-deserved.

Emily highlighted such a scary and life threatening disease on Sunday. She let people into her personal life and opened up about the struggles that come with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. How the diseases are seen as such a taboo to not only the people fighting with them, but the people around them.

For someone who knew Emily while she was going through this dark period of her life- I can honestly say I had no idea it was happening. I never saw Emily on a regular basis but I did see her from time to time. I'm sure there were more red flags and signs for her closer friends and family but even then, how do you approach someone about an eating disorder? The last thing you want to do is offend someone- but at the same time you don't want to keep quiet about it.

There will always be some things in life that you may not ever understand. Eating disorders may be one of those things. But if you see someone you love struggling with an eating disorder please don't stay quiet. The fatality rate from eating disorders increases more and more every year in both men and women.

All of the proceeds from her event including silent auction and raffle prizes are going to the Health Sciences Centre and the patient program it offers to people with eating disorders.

Emily, I love you so much. You are such a strong and beautiful woman inside and out. I'm so glad you are happy and healthy today. Know that you are loved and supported by everyone surrounding you. Your successful tea is just a preview of how successful your life will be after CreComm. I am so proud of you. (You go girl!)