Story
Hello there,
Myself and a team from HR Consultancy are running the 10k for Men on 15th June 2008 to raise funds for Coeliac UK, the only charity in the UK supporting people with Coeliac disease.
What is Coeliac disease? Coeliac disease is caused by intolerance to gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye and sometimes oats. In coeliacs, gluten damages the gut, preventing normal digestion and absorption of food. This can lead to anaemia, poor bone health and weight loss. If left untreated, the disease can lead to more serious conditions such as osteoporosis, infertility and gut cancer.
Why is HR Consultancy supporting Coeliac UK?
My son Jack was diagnosed with Coeliac disease on Christmas Eve 2006. He’d been through numerous tests in an attempt to identify what was wrong. It wasn’t that he was desperately unwell; he just wasn’t thriving and didn’t have the energy you’d expect in a boy of his age. Coeliac can particularly affect growth in children and, in Jack’s case, there was a bone delay of three years.
Successfully managing Coeliac disease involves fairly drastic changes to your diet. For Jack, this meant an end to sandwiches, pasta, cakes, biscuits, sweets and, his favourite, fish and chips from the chippy (due to the flour in the batter). Nevertheless, he embraced the challenge, understanding that it was going to make him feel better and grow taller! His friends at school learned that Jack had to have a special lunch and that he couldn’t share their sweets at playtime.
The results speak for themselves. In the 12 months following his diagnosis, Jack grew by an incredible 14 centimetres; his energy, attention and concentration levels soared and his school reports reflected this in better test results and top marks in maths and spelling.
Jack was 8 in October and is still growing fast. He now has his brown belt in karate, is a keen rugby fan and plays football for Quarriers United Football Club.
Thanking you in anticipation
Bill Guthrie
Commercial Director
HR Consultancy