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 Good- Morning and Happy Memorial Day Weekend!!
 
          I'm sending you some information because my daughter, Jayci, would like it to be out there for others in need of it, she is a high school senior in Pennsylvania that will graduate in June 2013.
 
Since 2009 she has been gluten free, because of Celiac Disease and also Hosimotos Thyroiditis. Her body's final resistance of gluten became apparent when she lost her eye sight on the bus ride to school, thankfully it was temporary, it was extremely scary for both her and myself as we had no idea what was happening. She had migraines, auras, and also would see colors since she was four, and since her celiac diagnosis and gluten removal all that has since gone, unless she is glutened, then the migraines come on fast and furious.
 
Her 4 years of school after her diagnosis, 9-12, have been very rocking, bumpy, and emotional, during the years that all kids just want to fit in. Bullying, being made to feel alone, unaccepted by her peers , teasing has been apart of her life, manly it has been the adults that would start it, in turn their children would pick up where they left off. Her disease was unaccepted and also misunderstood, and I believe it was somewhat because there is no outward disability to others, they can't see it so it doesn't exist.  
 
My daughter is lucky that she had a strong supportive home life to seek comfort in, many do not. I had been previously diagnosed in 2007 with Celiac after my first bout with cancer, and my oldest daughter had been diagnosed just about 7 months prior to Jayci.  See I don't know what our home life might have been like if I wasn't familiar with it, would I have not been as understanding too? See my parents don't understand and they take celiac disease with a grain of salt. It doesn't effect them so they don't need to understand, right? So I feel I was blessed to have Celiac Disease first so I could help guide my children on the right path to lead a healthier more positive life. I do thank God that I was given the chance to help my girls.
 
I know we have a long way to go educating not only within our community but even more so outside of our celiac community. I know we will get there and along the way we will have resistance from others, but it is a good fight and well worth it. 
 
But here is what I am sending you, please understand I'm not promoting anything, just sending you a story about a young lady and her Advance Placement English Project that she had to do to graduate from high school. The bullying is still continuing yet today, and we know it is only a few more days until graduation, but I have raised a daughter that has so many morals and understand of others in todays world that I know she will be a very strong women - heck she even picked a career that is manly a mans world - Petroleum and National Gas Engineering, so I know she will be fine, she has strong character!
 
 Remember her story is about the content and what many children encounter, hers was celiac bullying and being different. 
 
About her - http://www.noglutenhere.com/2013/05/celiac-disease-bullying-lessonsthe.html - to read the English Paper, click the  url right below her picture where it says   Click here to read.... http://www.glutenfreejenna.com/Bullying.pdf
 
I'm extremely proud of my daughter for wanting to share this with you, it was a hard decisions, as her bullying hasn't yet stopped, but she wants to show others how she has overcome many others ignorance.
 
Thanks for letting me send this to you and hopefully you know someone it can help. 
 
Sincerely,
 
Mother of Jayci Drew



 		 	   		  
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