Morgie's Letter

Dear All,

My Paigie is one of the closest people to me in my life. Growing up without sisters, the closest thing I had were my cousins, Paige being one of them. Being only a few years older than her, I don’t remember much from when she was a baby before getting diagnosed with Celiac Disease. For our whole lives, dealing with this auto-immune deficiency has become the normal but to say it was an adjustment would be an understatement. I grew up in a home where, thankfully, none of us had Celiac. We also lived a few hours from Paige, so when we were able to spend time with them it was definitely special, but the way we would go about most of our daily, normal routines would change. From wiping down purses, bags, handles, car doors, etc with Clorox wipes every time we showed up to her house (or vice versa), to washing my hands and mouth before even greeting her, just to be safe that I wasn’t carrying any gluten on me before hugging/kissing her hello. We couldn’t share bags of chips, drinks, or any snacks for that matter. And trust me- she always had good snacks that I wanted. So it was hard to be able to hang out with her and do normal things without constantly being cautious that I wouldn’t get her sick. Holidays she would have her own meals cooked for her in her own pots and pans, and was unable to enjoy the homemade meals we all could. I’d feel so bad for her. I also know how much effort my family would put into making her feel as normal as possible. Paige was the first person I knew or heard of with Celiac, getting diagnosed almost 20 years ago. In ways, having a “gluten free diet” becoming “popular” has been good, as well as detrimental. The food variety has expanded tremendously since the beginning when all I can remember is how bad her special bread tasted. But I also think people choosing this as a lifestyle and glamorizing gluten free diets is a bit tone deaf to those who suffer as badly as Paige has her whole life. I hope one day Paige will be able to live a life where she won’t have to worry if a spoon she uses that previously touched gluten is going to send her to the hospital. I think what she has done with this blog and spreading awareness throughout her college community has been so incredible, and I know she will continue to accomplish so much and help so many people. My hope as her cousin, best friend, and supporter, is that I can help advocate so she is able to reach her goals and get the message across. I love you my P, you are so awesome, strong, and the coolest person I know and I’m always here for you! I am so proud of you and I know you’re going to do amazing things!

Love, 
​Morgie 

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