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We are running the Great North Run on Sunday 8th September 2019 for a cause close to our hearts and one that directly impacts on us and our families. AJ was diagnosed with Coeliac disease in 2017 and we are running to raise awareness of this disease, as well as to raise funds to help continue the amazing support provided by the Coeliac UK charity and the vital on going research.

Why we are running

Two years ago, after months of being very ill, AJ's health had reached a devastating low during a travelling trip in Peru and we sadly had to return home early. Back in the UK, AJ was hospitalised and after a long list of tests and treatments for different infections, AJ was diagnosed with Coeliac disease. 

Coeliac disease is a serious lifelong autoimmune disease where the body's immune system reacts to gluten - a protein found in wheat, rye and barley - by damaging the lining of the small intestine. In a healthy small intestine, there are small, finger like projections (villi) that allow the body to absorb nutrients from food into the blood. If you have Coeliac disease, these villi become flat and you have difficulty absorbing nutrients. 

It was concluded that AJ had been suffering from Coeliac disease for over a decade and due to this, the villi in her intestines had become so inflamed and flattened that they had completely disappeared ('villous atrophy'). This meant that AJ's body could not absorb all the nutrients from food properly and therefore, due to an extremely weak immune system, could not fight off infections and illnesses. 

1 in 100 people have Coeliac disease, but Coeliac UK estimate that 500,000 people in the UK are currently living with undiagnosed Coeliac disease without realising it. In undiagnosed, untreated Coeliac disease there is a greater risk of complications including anaemia, osteoporosis, neurological conditions such as gluten ataxia and neuropathy, and an increased risk of small bowel cancer and intestinal lymphoma. More information is available at: https://www.coeliac.org.uk/coeliac-disease/
Coeliac disease is genetically linked and AJ's Dad, Brian, has also now been diagnosed. 

Two years on and after working hard to recover from the infections and adjusting to a strict gluten-free diet (that also includes no cross-contamination of gluten), AJ feels the healthiest she has been in a very long time! 

It has been a challenging few years but we are so grateful for the opportunity to run to support this fantastic charity - and to be happy and healthy. Thank you so much for your support! 

AJ and Chris.

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