Crossed Grain

November 2023 Issue 123 Your charity newsletter R oy and Diane were enjoying their summer holiday in 2022 when life suddenly changed. Roy, 71, developed troubling symptoms loss of appetite, fatigue and severe sickness – which culminated in him collapsing. It was the start of a bewildering journey to find out what was wrong and one where your generous support turned out to be a lifeline. Roy lost nearly two stone in just a few weeks, and at first the hospital couldn’t give him any clear answers. Eventually, blood tests and an endoscopy confirmed it was coeliac disease. After decades of happily eating gluten, Roy didn’t know where to start with his new diet. That’s where your donations have made a huge difference Diane contacted our Helpline, read everything she could on the Coeliac UK website and signed up as a member. “The biggest help was the reassurance we received” , she says. She gained so much knowledge that the NHS dietitian to whom they were eventually referred to, joked that that Diane knew more than she did! Yet a challenge remained – Roy struggled to regain the weight he had lost. Our Helpline was again the place to turn to and Lorna, one of the Coeliac UK dietitians, offered vital guidance by email and phone. “I don’t know what we would have done without you” , Diane says. “There was no other help available.” It’s because of the gifts we receive from supporters like you that we at Coeliac UK could be there for Roy and Diane. “I don’t know what we’d have done without you” Roy is now doing well, and Diane tells us he is “eating like a horse!” While reading food labels remains daunting, Coeliac UK’s tools make the process easier. “Getting used to the gluten free diet was like a minefield” , says Roy, “and so I like to support the charity by playing the raffle. Keep up the good work!” Thank you to Roy and Diane for sharing your story. Every time you send a donation, enter our raffle, volunteer for us or take part in our events, you are showing thousands of people like Roy and Diane that there is a supportive community behind them. Thank you for being part of Coeliac UK! Last year we were able to answer 14,028 telephone, email and web enquiries, via our Helpline. Every day we receive over 4,000 visits to our website from people looking for help and support for themselves or a loved one. This is only made possible with your support, thank you! i ?