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Lighting Up the Night for Celiac Disease on May 16th

International patient organizations unite to raise awareness of genetic autoimmune disease

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, May 13, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On Sunday, May 16, iconic buildings all over the world, including those in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Boston, Edmonton, Nashville, and New York City, will be lit up in green to raise awareness for International Celiac Disease Awareness Day. Among the Canadian buildings that will be bathed in green light are the CN Tower (Toronto), Olympic Stadium (Montreal), Prairie Wind at Riverplace (Saskatoon), Calgary Tower (Calgary), Epcor Tower (Edmonton) and BC Place (Vancouver).

For the second year in a row, this ground-breaking campaign will unite celiac disease organizations across the globe to raise awareness about this serious, genetic, autoimmune disease that impacts approximately 1% of the population, or about 1 in 133 people.

International patient groups participating in the Shine A Light initiative on May 16 include:

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  • Beyond Celiac

  • Canadian Celiac Association

  • Celiac Disease Foundation

  • Coelique Québec

  • CoeliacUK

  • Coeliac Society of Australia

  • Gluten Intolerance Group

  • National Celiac Association

Shine A Light is just one of many initiatives these international groups have planned in May for Celiac Disease Awareness Month. From food drives and informative, educational events for the public, to research awareness campaigns, there’s a way for everyone to get involved in Shine A Light activities.

Nationally, the CCA has also joined forces with Oreo, which recently released a new gluten-free version of their classic cookie to their family of products.

"Throughout the day, the Canadian Celiac Association will be featuring "GFOreoMoments" on social media showing how people with celiac disease are thriving after diagnosis thanks to the CCA and safe, gluten-free options like Gluten-Free Oreo," says National Executive Director, Melissa Secord. "Canadians will have a chance to learn the challenges of their often misunderstood disease and how they can help keep them safe."

About Celiac Disease

Celiac disease patients experience a variety of symptoms that can include chronic diarrhea, abdominal pain, weight loss, anemia, infertility, and, for children, physical development issues if they continuously eat gluten. The wide range of symptoms makes the path to diagnosis a long and arduous one—up to nine years on average from first appearance of symptoms—equating to years of needless suffering.1 There is no cure for celiac disease and currently the only treatment is strict adherence to a gluten-free diet. Left undiagnosed or untreated, celiac disease can have serious long-term consequences for a patient’s health, such as cancers of the gut, osteopenia, and neurological complications.

To learn more about the Shine A Light initiative and international Celiac Disease Awareness Month activities, visit: https://shinealightonceliac.org/

Media Contact

PR Contact: Angela Rotundo
P: 647-525-0030
E: arotundo@bangalbino.ca

1 Delay to celiac disease diagnosis and its implications for health-related quality of life | BMC Gastroenterology | Full Text (biomedcentral.com)