RACHAEL FARROKH's road to DEATH

*Warning: AL JAZEERA AMERICA presentation*

At five-foot-seven, she weighs a mere '40-something pounds' and is close to death.

Now, Rachael Farrokh, from Southern California, is begging the public to help save her life.

The 37-year-old actress, who has been battling anorexia nervosa for more than 10 years, has released a video on YouTube describing her fight against the life-threatening eating disorder.

In the footage, she explains how her condition has severely declined in recent months, leaving her emaciated, breathless and too weak to move around on her own at her San Clemente home.

She also reveals how her husband, Ron Edmondson, has had to quit his job to become her 24-hour caregiver, while area hospitals won't treat her because her 'dangerous' weight makes her a 'liability'.

'There's one hospital across the country that can help, and my chances are very slim. We need your help,' a gaunt-looking Ms Farrokh says in the video, asking viewers to donate 'anything you can'.

Sitting on a couch with a pink hooded top covering her tiny frame, Ms Farrokh, begins the video by saying: 'I need your help. I'm suffering from an eating disorder. It's a very severe kind of anorexia.'

Struggling to get her words out, she continues: 'I've been suffering from this for quite a while now. I'm five-[foot]-seven, 40-something pounds and no hospitals will even take me at this point.

'She was a very active individual growing up, she was a perfectionist,' he said. On Facebook, Ms Farrokh has posted a photo of herself looking healthy in sports gear, taken many years ago.

'At first, it was innocent, I wanted to drop a few pounds to get better abs,' said Ms Farrokh, adding that a sudden job loss and a painful memory from her past had allowed her anorexia to creep in.

As her disorder 'spiraled out of control', the actress saw her weight drop from a healthy 125 pounds to a much lower figure. And in recent months, it has dropped even further - to below 50 pounds.

Ms Farrokh declined to reveal her exact weight to the news station. But in her video, her chest bones can be seen sticking up through her skin, her face is gaunt and her knee bones jut out of her legs.

'My sister gave me a collage of pictures of when I was acting or doing certain things,' said Ms Farrokh, who spends her time in a hospital bed inside her house and cannot walk on her own.

'I look at that girl, the head shot, it's only a few years old. It's like I know I've wasted this much of my life. I just want to be that person again - that strong, independent woman that can be herself.'

Because of her condition, Ms Farrokh, who lists her occupation as 'Actor' on Facebook, has previously suffered from heart and liver failure, and has had to undergo blood transfusions.

She has also experienced a decline in mental ability as her body continues to 'shut down'.

WHAT IS ANOREXIA NERVOSA? 

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that is characterized by an abnormally low body weight and an intense fear of gaining weight.

Sufferers typically have a distorted perception of their bodies.

They may either restrict the amount of food they eat, or control the amount of calories they consume by vomiting after meals. 

They also might attempt to lose weight by engaging in excessive exercise.

Symptoms include extreme weight loss, abnormal blood counts, fatigue, insomnia, dizziness, thin or easily breakable hair, a lack of menstruation (in women) and dry skin,

The condition can be life-threatening.

The Mayo Clinic says: 'Anorexia isn’t really about food. It’s an unhealthy way to try to cope with emotional problems.

'When you have anorexia, you often equate thinness with self-worth.'  

'At such a low body weight, my brain is a little slower than I would like, Ms Farrokh told ABC. 'Sometimes, you'll forget what you said a few seconds ago. You're just not on your game.'

On the GoFundMe page, Mr Edmondson, who longer works as a personal trainer, writes: 'My lovely wife and I have been together for more than a decade and she will be seeing her final days if we don’t take action!

'Her weight continues to plummet to a weight that's extremely dangerous.

'She has been fighting through a disease that has the highest mortality rate of all psychological disorders, an extreme case of Anorexia. 

'There is only one hospital in the country that specializes in refeeding patients at such a low body weight and it’s my mission to get her there.

'If she receives too many calories her metabolism will kick up and she will lose even more weight. This is a VERY delicate medical situation. Hospitals won't admit her because she is a liability for them. 'She doesn't meet their minimum weight requirement and they don't have the capabilities to save her.'

He goes to describe his wife as a 'captivating, kind and amazing woman' who 'always puts others before herself'. Her family and friends have supported her throughout her battle, he writes.

Dr. Michael Strober, professor of psychiatry at Resnick UCLA Neuropsychiatric Hospital, told ABC that the refeeding process needs to be 'carefully monitored', otherwise it can put patients at risk.

'Too rapid increase of calories can result in the metabolic adaptation which is associated of a number of hazards, which can be life-threatening,' Dr Strober said.