FW: National Celiac Disease Awareness Day Sept. 13 is Gee's birthday

[Guest guest]

I usually try to stick with local announcements, but this was

just too cool to resist sharing! Plans for 9/13/08???

Pam

From:

Celiacs@... [mailto:Celiacs@...]

Sent: Thursday, September 13, 2007 8:29 AM

pknewbury@...

Subject: National Celiac Disease Awareness Day Sept. 13 is Gee's

birthday

All CSA Members

From: Schluckebier, CSA Executive Director

September 13, 2007 is

Official National Celiac Disease Awareness Day.

S.RES.314 resolution designating September 13, 2007, as

" National Celiac Disease Awareness Day " was passed by the US Senate by unanimous consent, Monday

September 10, 2007. September 13th is the anniversary of the

birth of Gee, the father of modern Celiac Disease.

For the second year CSA

has worked on your behalf with the Senatorial staff and offices leading to the

Senate designation of a National Celiac Disease Awareness Day.

The resolution was introduced by Senator Inhofe of

Oklahoma and Senator Ben of Nebraska. The resolution is reprinted

below from http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:S.RES.314:

Spread Awareness and please let

your Senators know how important Celiac Disease is to you and thank them

for passing Senate Resolution 314 and encourage

support for September 13, 2008.

Learn more about Gee …On the home page, www.csaceliacs.org,

Print a variety of WBRO free - cake recipes… On the home page, www.csaceliacs.org,

Bake a cake today

to share with local health care providers increasing awareness in your

community. Take a picture and send to celiacs@...

for inclusion in Lifeline or posting on the website.

The 2007 October Celiac Disease Awareness Month

Packet Please consider entering the photo and essay contests…On the home page, www.csaceliacs.org.

######

TEXT OF NATIONAL CELIAC DISEASE AWARENESS

DAY

110th CONGRESS

1st Session S. RES. 314

Designating September 13, 2007, as

`National Celiac Disease Awareness Day'.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

September 10, 2007

Mr. INHOFE (for himself and Mr.

NELSON of Nebraska) submitted the following resolution; which was considered

and agreed to

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

RESOLUTION

Designating September 13, 2007, as

`National Celiac Disease Awareness Day'.

Whereas celiac disease affects

approximately 1 in every 130 people in the United States, for a total of 3,000,000

people;

Whereas the majority of people with

celiac disease have yet to be diagnosed;

Whereas celiac disease is a chronic

inflammatory disorder that is classified as both an autoimmune condition and a

genetic condition;

Whereas celiac disease causes

damage to the lining of the small intestine, which results in overall

malnutrition;

Whereas, when a person with celiac

disease consumes foods that contain certain protein fractions, that person

suffers a cell-mediated immune response that damages the villi of the small

intestine, interfering with the absorption of nutrients in food and the

effectiveness of medications;

Whereas these problematic protein

fractions are found in wheat, barley, rye, and oats, which are used to produce

many foods, medications, and vitamins;

Whereas because celiac disease is a

genetic disease, there is an increased incidence of celiac disease in families

with a known history of celiac disease;

Whereas celiac disease is

underdiagnosed because the symptoms can be attributed to other conditions and

are easily overlooked by doctors and patients;

Whereas, as recently as 2000, the

average person with celiac disease waited 11 years for a correct diagnosis;

Whereas 1/2 of all people with

celiac disease do not show symptoms of the disease;

Whereas celiac disease is diagnosed

by tests that measure the blood for abnormally high levels of the antibodies of

immunoglobulin A, anti-tissue transglutaminase, and IgA anti-endomysium

antibodies;

Whereas celiac disease can only be

treated by implementing a diet free of wheat, barley, rye, and oats, often

called a `gluten-free diet';

Whereas a delay in the diagnosis of

celiac disease can result in damage to the small intestine, which leads to an

increased risk for malnutrition, anemia, lymphoma, adenocarcinoma,

osteoporosis, miscarriage, congenital malformation, short stature, and

disorders of skin and other organs;

Whereas celiac disease is linked to

many autoimmune disorders, including thyroid disease, systemic lupus

erythematosus, type 1 diabetes, liver disease, collagen vascular disease,

rheumatoid arthritis, and Sjogren's syndrome;

Whereas the connection between

celiac disease and diet was first established by Dr. Gee, who wrote, `if

the patient can be cured at all, it must be by means of diet';

Whereas Dr. Gee was born on

September 13, 1839; and

Whereas the Senate is an

institution that can raise awareness in the general public and the medical

community of celiac disease: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Senate--

(1) designates September 13, 2007,

as `National Celiac Disease Awareness Day';

(2) recognizes that all people of

the United States should become more informed and aware of celiac disease;

(3) calls upon the people of the

United States to observe the date with appropriate ceremonies and activities;

and

(4) respectfully requests the

Secretary of the Senate to transmit a copy of this resolution to the Celiac

Sprue Association, the American Celiac Society, the Celiac Disease Foundation,

the Gluten Intolerance Group of North America, and the Oklahoma Celiac Support

Group No. 5 of the Celiac Sprue Association.