Help Janet raise money

<sub>Hello friends -

Approximately 1 in 100 Canadians live with celiac disease, an autoimmune disease in which the body reacts to ingestion of gluten (wheat, barley, triticale). Reactions can be obvious gastrointestinal distress or less obvious.  In my family’s case, my daughter came down with severe anemia which would not respond to iron therapy, and eventually we learned that her intestine was so damaged that she was no longer absorbing iron. She never had any gastro symptoms. Then my husband was diagnosed and had measurable intestinal damage, with no symptoms at all. Left untreated, this damage could lead to various nutritional deficiencies, neurological symptoms and even cancer.

We were the lucky ones because our doctor knew that my daughter should be tested for celiac disease, even though Ontario is the only province where the standard of care celiac blood test is not covered by our provincial health care plan.  Lots of patients wait much longer for diagnosis, and many are not in a position to pay for a blood test.

There is lots of work to do to improve awareness and diagnosis of celiac disease, and to develop treatments other than the gluten free diet. There is also lots of work to do to ensure that Canadians have access to safe gluten free food. There are economic barriers as gluten free food costs more; there are also institutional barriers as many restaurants and foodservice businesses do not have the right processes in place to prevent gluten cross contamination. And, in Ontario, we must convince the province that it is much less costly to test early with a fully funded blood test, than to treat extensive complications at a later date.

Fast forward a few years and I am suddenly President and Chair of the Canadian Celiac Association Board of Directors. CCA is working to improve diagnosis, access to safe food, and to contribute to research into treatments that can complement the gluten free diet. We have an amazing executive director and she and her team are working very hard to make change.  However, as a registered charity we need funding from donors to make a difference.

This month we are fundraising by running the virtual Scotia Waterfront Marathon.  I have committed to running “the whole shebang” and so far I have walked 42.2 km, run 21.1 km and run 5 km. I have 10 km left to go but I need your help. Every little bit helps - please consider a $20-$25 donation or higher.

Please consider sponsoring me or another member of the CCA team!</sub>