Most recently, Celiac Disease Awareness Month has been celebrated in May. However, some people claim that October is Celiac Awareness Month.
With that said, which one is correct? None of those months have actually been approved in the United States. The reason October was designated as Celiac Awareness Month was because the Canadian government had officially approved it. Therefore, here in the U.S, we had simply joined in with the celebration. This was celebrated between 1987 and 2008.
However, in 2009, the Canadian government decided to move the Celiac Awareness Month to May in order to join the celebration with other European countries. Currently there are about 33 European countries that have joined the Association of European Coeliac Societies (AOECS) which was founded in 1988.
Since then, many Celiac disease groups in the United States have chosen May as the Celiac Disease Awareness Month to coincide with our European fellows.
So is it October or May? Most groups have decided to celebrate it in May. Some groups might still follow the original month of October. What is important is that whichever month is picked, it is important to spread awareness in order to help out someone. Every month should be Celiac Awareness Month. Celiac is a dangerous disease. It has taken an average between 7 to 11 years for people to be diagnosed with the disease.
Some States have been joining in to officially declare May as Celiac Disease Awareness Month. State Resolutions have been passed in North Carolina, Maryland, Illinois, New Hampshire, and Minnesota.
We need to get our elected officials involved to raise awareness so that our States can recognize May as the official Celiac Awareness Month. Together we can make a difference.
Honestly, my wife and I did not know or even heard of Celiac Disease (CD) before our son Cesar Michael was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in August of 2010. We wished we were aware of what the disease was about. We would have had the opportunity to help our son way sooner. Unfortunately, most doctors did not know what was wrong with our child until we found the right doctor. Doctor Mohamed A Tantawi, who also suffers from Celiac Disease (CD), immediately referred him to get tested. This is how our son was diagnosed with celiac disease.
(Video Courtesy of NFCA celiaccentral.org )
Recently, my daughter Cecilia Marie was diagnosed with Wheat Allergy (WA) which can be a temporary allergy. Her physician is continuously monitoring her digestive system since most celiac disease patients have many symptoms. So far the tests have come back negative to celiac disease except that she is wheat gluten intolerant. In order to keep them healthy, they both are under a strict gluten-free diet.
Our U.S government has not officially designated a Celiac Disease Month. However, the U.S Senate has unanimously voted to name September 13th as the National Celiac Disease Awareness Day.
Sources:
- About.com by Jane Anderson
- Celiac Disease Foundation, May as Celiac Awareness Month
- Celiaccentral.org, Senate designates Sept. 13,2011 as”National Celiac Diseas Awareness Day.”
- Association of European Coeliac Societies (AOECS)