Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page. I’m Heather and I have Coeliac Disease, an autoimmune disease which affects the bowel and can have serious health implications for those diagnosed if a strict gluten free diet is not followed.

After years of having symptoms I was finally diagnosed with the disease 8 years ago. Since then I have often found it difficult to manage gluten free diet, especially when eating out, and I have certainly found that there is a lack of awareness of the disease in general. However, in recent years the situation has improved significantly, mainly due to the great work done by Coeliac UK.

I have been particularly impressed with the work Coeliac UK have done to raise awareness of the disease within the medical profession. This has led to more sufferers getting earlier diagnosis when symptoms are presented, thus helping to make a huge difference to their quality of life. I have also been extremely impressed with the way the charity has worked with people like Phil Vickery to raise awareness in the culinary profession. I LOVE my food and it is an absolute delight that I can now go to most good restaurants and expect to be provided with ‘gluten-free’ options; this has been a major step forward to me and others managing the disease who want to live as normal as life as possible and enjoy eating out without worrying about whether the food is truly gluten free!

However, there is still so much left to do! Finding a cure for Coeliac Disease is one of the charity’s key ambitions and it would be amazing if their continued efforts made this a reality. I hope that by running for Coeliac UK at the London 2013 marathon I can, with your support, make a contribution to the continued good work undertaken by this fantastic charity.