Cesar Michael advocates for Celiac disease Awareness at Saint Clare School, an elementary Catholic School in Clifton NJ. May 24^th will be “Celiac Awareness day.”

Cesar Michael is currently in 7^th grade and Cecilia is in 3^rd grade. My son was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in August 2010. By the time his doctors discovered the reason of his sickness, he had suffered seizures, weight loss and multiple digestive problems.

By the time he was 10 years old he had experienced hard times in coping with the disease. Not knowing what is wrong when you get sick is devastating emotionally and mentally not only for a child but for the parents as well.

People with Celiac disease can’t digest the protein called gluten. Gluten is found in wheat, barley and rye. Many products are made with gluten such as breads, pastas, Malt vinegar, hot dogs, canned baked beans, soy sauce, twizzlers licorice, most cold-cut meats, puddings, pizza, ice cream cones, gravy powders, salad dressings, cereals, communion hosts, etc.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder not an allergy. If a celiac person digests gluten, the internal tissues in the small intestines called villi get damaged. The body attacks itself. On the contrary, if it was an allergy the body will fight the foreign substance by creating antibodies and releasing histamine. My daughter Cecilia has also been diagnosed with Wheat allergy. As you know wheat contain gluten and other 2 proteins. According to researchers, majority of wheat allergy is caused by albumin and globulin which is also found in wheat.

According to The University Of Maryland School Of Medicine, 1 in 133 people suffer from celiac disease. Many patients don’t even know they have celiac.

The only treatment to celiac disease is a gluten-free diet. Because of celiac advocacy, many companies are manufacturing gluten-free products. They are substituting gluten with ingredients that do not contain wheat, rye and barley.

 “I’m happy that I am able to advocate for Celiac Disease and perhaps help someone else,” says Cesar Michael.  “I don’t want other children to go through the sufferings that I went through. I need to make them aware of what the disease is about and what the symptoms are.”

With that in mind, Cesar Michael is advocating for Celiac awareness.  On May 24^th, 2012, students at Saint Clare Catholic School, Clifton NJ, will participate in a “NUT” day (No Uniform Today.) They will wear something green. Green is the color of celiac awareness. Participants will donate $5.00 and will receive a silicon wristband along with printed brochures containing information about celiac disease and a gluten-free diet.

All donations will be sent to NFCA (The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness) which is a national 501( c ) (3) non-profit organization. This organization is dedicated to “increasing diagnosis of celiac disease” as well as facilitating celiac disease research.

The NFCA was founded by Alice Bast who also has celiac disease. She was diagnosed with the disease after the 23^rd physician.

Thanks to people that advocate for celiac disease, the word is spreading around and we are making a better world for our celiac patients.

We thank all students at Saint Clare School, teachers and parents for participating on “Celiac Awareness day” and donating towards Celiac disease research.