Gluten Free and How it Affected my Family

Growing up my sister and I always wanted kids.  We would get the winter Sears catalogue and pick out our husbands and kids.  It was so much fun dreaming as little girls about our future lives.  Time passed and we grew up. Now as adults there are moments we both would relish being little girls again.

We both still love kids.  I have 7 and she has 5.  She and her husband adopted their last child.  He is precious to all of us and maybe even loved in a more deep way because he came to our family in a unique manner. When she had him she received a baby gift basket from me. From the time he was little he had trouble digesting milk.  He was slow to grow.  Having had 4 other children my sister took this as normal.  But as he grew and had other behavior issues and digesting issues she knew something was wrong.  She tried giving him protein, taking him off of sugar; she tried everything that came to her own mind.  It wasn’t until she saw a specialist who diagnosed my sweet nephew with food allergies.  She told my sister their son was allergic to gluten.  Laura was relieved and bewildered at once.  Gluten-wasn’t it found in most everything?  How could her son eat anything?  How would they go to dinner or through the drive through after football practice and the gazillion other activities their family often has going on? 

They belong to a strong church family.  And word soon passed about their son’s food allergies.  It was only a day later that a huge gluten free gift basket arrived at her door.  It was like a breath of encouragement when she searched through the beautiful basket.  It was the beginning of a long journey to understanding what her sons needs were.  The best part is the behavioral change she saw in him.  Not only did he feel better but his skin was clearer and his teachers commented on his behavior.  I must say it is still an unknown daunting issue for me.  It is a whole new way to live and eat.  I am learning and listening to her and now another dear friend who is also gluten free.  Even our kids point out items in the store now that say “gluten free”.  I hope that one day I know enough to contribute to his health and give them my own gluten free gift baskets of love.