Inspiration Award

Jeanne Dickson
The Celiac Disease Foundation - North Idaho Chapter

I am pleased to announce that our third recipient of the Breads From Anna® Inspiration Award is Jeanne Dickson. I have known Jeanne about two years and have seen her commit to helping people in Idaho by educating herself on all the current information and always making herself avaliable to help someone new to the diet.  Like so many people who start a support group, the duties involved can be like a full-time job.  Jeanne always does this service with a smile on her face, happy to help lead others back to good health.

Here is how Jeanne described her path to us. "After years of literally falling apart and feeling like a hypochondriac, I went to a new doctor in my new state of Tennessee.  Desperate to find a real answer I found myself at the office of an internist and told her everything.  Thank heavens she was a good listener.  She scheduled me up for a couple test to prove her suspicion that I had celiac.  I did not want a biopsy so she tried a few other tests first, all leading to the fact I needed the biopsy to get the answers that she needed.

Back then there was not much information.  After six weeks I received a one half page of instructions on what I could have and not eat.  It was very bleak to say the least.  Thanks to my husband’s encouragement I went on a mission to find out what this mysterious rare disease was all about.  First stop (this was before internet was of much use) was the bookstore.  Nothing.  I had asked if they could look up the term “Celiac or Gluten Intolerance”.   What popped up was a new book by my new “Betty Crocker”…It was heaven sent “Betty Hagman’s Gluten Free Gourmet”  to my rescue.  From that moment on I was on the right track.  She had so much information packed in that book it was my saving grace.  From there I found CSA that had a support group (I wasn’t alone).  I just had to drive 4.5 hours to Nashville to attend the meetings and be with people I could learn from.  Tori Ross was the group leader at the time and she was amazing.  We started to attend all the CSA Conferences we could drive to.  While at the Dallas Conference I got to meet “Betty Hagman” and there was a message for me at the registration desk.  Someone from my own town was there and wanted to meet me.  How exciting was that!  Well that started it, not only were they from my town, they were in the same neighborhood.  We got together and started our own group and before we knew it there were lots of “Celiacs” just like us thinking they were alone.  That group is still thriving and many more across Tennessee.

That in a nutshell is why I have always signed up as a contact or connection with as many organizations I can find where ever I move.  Most recently it is up here in North Idaho.  We are ever growing and thanks to all the great support from “The Celiac Disease Foundation” we are now a chapter and making our awareness known to everyone up here.   Our mission is:  No one will think they are alone when they leave their well informed doctors office with the celiac diagnosis."

http://www.meetup.com/NorthID-EasternWA-GlutenFree

http://glutenfreejeanne.blogspot.com/

Thank You Jeanne,

Anna and the Breads From Anna® Team

If you know someone who has had a positive impact on the gluten-free community and feel they deserve recognition, please let us know by emailing info@breadsfromanna.com

Others who have inspired us:

Linda Monahan-President of The American Celiac Support Group in Providence, Rhode Island

Betty Barfield-President, North Texas Intolerance Group