But after successful treatment at a psychiatric unit, Ms Buxton-Henderson started studying at Manchester University . By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 07:34 EST, 16 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:28 EST, 16 July 2013 . An anorexia sufferer who was so close to death her mother visited funeral homes to pick out a coffin for her has battled back to gain a master’s degree. Rowena Buxton-Henderson, now 26, developed the condition when a school nurse weighed her and told her she must lose weight when she was 13. At 16-and-a-half stone she was overweight, but the humiliating incident traumatised Ms Buxton-Henderson so much that she became terrified of eating. High achiever: Rowena Henderson, 26, has managed to conquer her eating disorder and get a master's degree in medicinal chemistry from Manchester University. She now hopes to embark on a career in forensics or drug design . She then spent the entirety of her . teenage years in and out of hospital and even had to be resuscitated . after she stopped breathing. At her most frail, 6ft tall Ms . Buxton-Henderson weighed just five-and-a-half stone and was so ill her . mother, Carolann Henderson, started to prepare for her death. When she was 16 she spent seven months in a specialist eating disorder unit in Northampton for where she was fed through a tube, but she kept pulling it out of her body because she was frightened of putting on weight . Now Ms Buxton-Henderson, from Nottingham, has spoken out about the eating disorder after winning her battle and graduating from Manchester University with a 2:1 master’s degree in Medicinal Chemistry. Rowena (right) is pictured with her twin sister Kirsty (left) age nine. She developed anorexia when she became overweight and a school nurse told she was morbidly obese and must lose weight . Rowena (pictured before she became ill, left, with sister Kirsty), said 'I regret the time I've lost [being anorexic], but I wouldn't be the person I am if I had not been through what I have' Ms Buxton-Henderson, who now weighs . nine-and-a-half stone, said: ‘I lost my most precious years with my . family and friends - a time I should have been enjoying. ‘The doctors resuscitated me once. The nurse said I had to get some sugar in me and gave me some Lucozade. ‘My first response was “how many calories is in that?” - I was in complete denial. ‘I was tube-fed for seven months when I was 16 and weighed just seven stone but I kept pulling the tube out, I was awful. ‘I weighed the lowest when I was about 18 or 19-years-old, that’s when I got down to below six stone and knew I had to start eating. Rowena is pictured aged around 13, shortly before she put on weight and was then told she must lose it at school . ‘You need to want to change. I had seven years in and out of hospital. I received help several times but I only really got better when I wanted to. ‘Before then, I would put on weight so I could get out of hospital and lose it again. ‘I regret the time I’ve lost but I wouldn’t be the person I am if I had not been through what I have.’ Ms Buxton-Henderson first started losing weight when she was aged 13 after a school nurse told her she was morbidly obese after she weighed in at 16-and-a-half stone. She stopped eating and her obsession with dieting continued until she was hospitalised when she was 15 after collapsing at home. Her . mother, 57, a retired police officer, said: ‘I visited a couple of . funeral homes because I thought she was dying when she was 16 or 17 and . was at her worst. ‘Her . BMI was just 11 and we had a couple of calls from the hospital say she . wasn’t going to make it through the night.It was a horrendous thing to . go through. ‘I never thought we would be here with Rowena having a master’s degree. ‘She’s incredibly intelligent, brave and determined and I couldn’t be prouder.’ At Rowena's most frail she weighed just five-and-and-half stone, despite . being six feet tall. She was even fed by a tube in a specialist eating . disorder unit in Northampton for seven months when she was 16 but kept . pulling the tube out because she was frightened of putting on weight . Rowena (centre) is pictured age 15 with twin sister Kirsty. When she was 16 Rowena's weight plummeted to its lowest and her BMI was just 11. She was eventually hospitalised and her mother received several calls from doctors to say that they didn't think she would survive . Rowena received treatment at Nottinghamshire Healthcare’s child and adolescent psychiatric unit before being admitted to a specialist eating disorder unit in Northampton. After seeing her health improve, Rowena started studying at the University of Manchester five years ago. She needed to do a foundation year before starting her degree, as she had missed two years of school after being hospitalised by her illness. Rowena (left) is pictured with sister Kirsty (right) age 19, while on the road to recovery. Rowena received treatment at Nottinghamshire Healthcare's child and adolescent psychiatric unit before being admitted to a specialist eating disorder unit in Northampton . Rowena (left) is pictured with mother Carolanne (centre) and sister Kirsty (right) shortly before she was hospitalised in 2005. She said: 'For anybody out there who is suffering [with anorexia], it's incredibly difficult if you don't have support. It's a long process. You go forward and do take steps backwards.' She said: ‘I’ve got the most ridiculously lovely family and friends. For anybody out there who is suffering, it’s incredibly difficult if you don’t have support. It’s a long process. You go forward and do take steps backwards. Rowena's mother, a retired police officer, said: 'I never thought we would be here with Rowena having a master's degree. She's incredibly intelligent, brave and determined and I couldn't be prouder' ‘Everyone has their ups and downs. I think it’s never going to completely leave me but there are different ways of managing it so I can have a life. ‘I’m hoping to go into forensics or drug design. As long as I can help people in some way, that would be nice.’
Rowena Buxton-Henderson suffered from anorexia throughout her teens .
She developed condition when after a school nurse weighed her and told her she must lose weight because she was 'morbidly obese'
Aged 13 and at 16-and-a-half stone, she was overweight, but the humiliating incident caused her to become terrified of eating .
At her lightest, Rowena weighed just 5-and-a-half stone and her BMI was 11 .
She spent 7 months in hospital being tube-fed and nearly died .
But after successful treatment at a psychiatric unit, Ms Buxton-Henderson started studying at Manchester University .
Now has just graduated with a 2:1 master's degree in Medicinal Chemistry .
If you think you may be anorexic or are concerned someone you know is, visit www.anorexiabulimiacare.org.uk for more information .
But after successful treatment at a psychiatric unit, Ms Buxton-Henderson started studying at Manchester University . By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 07:34 EST, 16 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:28 EST, 16 July 2013 . An anorexia sufferer who was so close to death her mother visited funeral homes to pick out a coffin for her has battled back to gain a master’s degree. Rowena Buxton-Henderson, now 26, developed the condition when a school nurse weighed her and told her she must lose weight when she was 13. At 16-and-a-half stone she was overweight, but the humiliating incident traumatised Ms Buxton-Henderson so much that she became terrified of eating. High achiever: Rowena Henderson, 26, has managed to conquer her eating disorder and get a master's degree in medicinal chemistry from Manchester University. She now hopes to embark on a career in forensics or drug design . She then spent the entirety of her . teenage years in and out of hospital and even had to be resuscitated . after she stopped breathing. At her most frail, 6ft tall Ms . Buxton-Henderson weighed just five-and-a-half stone and was so ill her . mother, Carolann Henderson, started to prepare for her death. When she was 16 she spent seven months in a specialist eating disorder unit in Northampton for where she was fed through a tube, but she kept pulling it out of her body because she was frightened of putting on weight . Now Ms Buxton-Henderson, from Nottingham, has spoken out about the eating disorder after winning her battle and graduating from Manchester University with a 2:1 master’s degree in Medicinal Chemistry. Rowena (right) is pictured with her twin sister Kirsty (left) age nine. She developed anorexia when she became overweight and a school nurse told she was morbidly obese and must lose weight . Rowena (pictured before she became ill, left, with sister Kirsty), said 'I regret the time I've lost [being anorexic], but I wouldn't be the person I am if I had not been through what I have' Ms Buxton-Henderson, who now weighs . nine-and-a-half stone, said: ‘I lost my most precious years with my . family and friends - a time I should have been enjoying. ‘The doctors resuscitated me once. The nurse said I had to get some sugar in me and gave me some Lucozade. ‘My first response was “how many calories is in that?” - I was in complete denial. ‘I was tube-fed for seven months when I was 16 and weighed just seven stone but I kept pulling the tube out, I was awful. ‘I weighed the lowest when I was about 18 or 19-years-old, that’s when I got down to below six stone and knew I had to start eating. Rowena is pictured aged around 13, shortly before she put on weight and was then told she must lose it at school . ‘You need to want to change. I had seven years in and out of hospital. I received help several times but I only really got better when I wanted to. ‘Before then, I would put on weight so I could get out of hospital and lose it again. ‘I regret the time I’ve lost but I wouldn’t be the person I am if I had not been through what I have.’ Ms Buxton-Henderson first started losing weight when she was aged 13 after a school nurse told her she was morbidly obese after she weighed in at 16-and-a-half stone. She stopped eating and her obsession with dieting continued until she was hospitalised when she was 15 after collapsing at home. Her . mother, 57, a retired police officer, said: ‘I visited a couple of . funeral homes because I thought she was dying when she was 16 or 17 and . was at her worst. ‘Her . BMI was just 11 and we had a couple of calls from the hospital say she . wasn’t going to make it through the night.It was a horrendous thing to . go through. ‘I never thought we would be here with Rowena having a master’s degree. ‘She’s incredibly intelligent, brave and determined and I couldn’t be prouder.’ At Rowena's most frail she weighed just five-and-and-half stone, despite . being six feet tall. She was even fed by a tube in a specialist eating . disorder unit in Northampton for seven months when she was 16 but kept . pulling the tube out because she was frightened of putting on weight . Rowena (centre) is pictured age 15 with twin sister Kirsty. When she was 16 Rowena's weight plummeted to its lowest and her BMI was just 11. She was eventually hospitalised and her mother received several calls from doctors to say that they didn't think she would survive . Rowena received treatment at Nottinghamshire Healthcare’s child and adolescent psychiatric unit before being admitted to a specialist eating disorder unit in Northampton. After seeing her health improve, Rowena started studying at the University of Manchester five years ago. She needed to do a foundation year before starting her degree, as she had missed two years of school after being hospitalised by her illness. Rowena (left) is pictured with sister Kirsty (right) age 19, while on the road to recovery. Rowena received treatment at Nottinghamshire Healthcare's child and adolescent psychiatric unit before being admitted to a specialist eating disorder unit in Northampton . Rowena (left) is pictured with mother Carolanne (centre) and sister Kirsty (right) shortly before she was hospitalised in 2005. She said: 'For anybody out there who is suffering [with anorexia], it's incredibly difficult if you don't have support. It's a long process. You go forward and do take steps backwards.' She said: ‘I’ve got the most ridiculously lovely family and friends. For anybody out there who is suffering, it’s incredibly difficult if you don’t have support. It’s a long process. You go forward and do take steps backwards. Rowena's mother, a retired police officer, said: 'I never thought we would be here with Rowena having a master's degree. She's incredibly intelligent, brave and determined and I couldn't be prouder' ‘Everyone has their ups and downs. I think it’s never going to completely leave me but there are different ways of managing it so I can have a life. ‘I’m hoping to go into forensics or drug design. As long as I can help people in some way, that would be nice.’
But after successful treatment at a psychiatric unit, Ms Buxton-Henderson started studying at condition when a school nurse weighed her and told her she must lose weight when she was 13. At 16-and-a-half stone she was overweight, but the humiliating incident traumatised Ms terrified of eating. High achiever: Rowena Now Ms Buxton-Henderson, from Nottingham, has University with a 2:1 master’s degree in Medicinal Chemistry. Rowena (right) is pictured a school nurse told she was morbidly obese and and her BMI was just 11. She was eventually psychiatric unit before being admitted to a be nice.’