Director Children’s Programs

Celiac disease turns your life upside down overnight after diagnosis.  For kiddos this is especially true.  The constant desire to be normal and fit in at events where food is served or to eat hot lunch at school can be overwhelming.  As the Director of Children’s Programs, I want to try and bring a bit of that normalcy back for kiddos from preschool to college and show young people with celiac that they are part of a community who cares.

My celiac journey began with my son experiencing debilitating joint pain at four years old.  After countless x-rays, an MRI, and bouncing among medical specialists for months, we finally did the blood test and a follow up endoscopy to confirm his diagnosis.  This was followed by my husband being diagnosed at 43 years old.  He just thought he was a person who was always tired!  Although their lives have improved significantly physically, the day to day struggles of avoiding cross contamination when engaging with community outside our home continues.  

We are a very active family spending as much time as possible outside participating in human powered sports and stopping for mandatory visits to see cool rocks (I am a geologist by day).

I am looking forward to meeting other parents with celiac kiddos and sharing our stories of success!