Unsung Heroes

[As you know, the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness staff members are big Phillies fans. So when one of our newest volunteers, Nadina Fraimow, told us she shared the same passion for sports, wellness and all things Phillies, we had to get her on board. Nadina will be sharing her gluten-free experience throughout the 2011 Phillies season.]

Unsung Heroes

A Phightin’ to Be Gluten-Free Blog

The celebration of great milestones continues from April into May with National Celiac Awareness month, Mother’s Day and Wednesday night’s Phillies game.

The 5-3 victory against the Florida Marlins was not a walk in the ballpark for Cliff Lee and the rest of his teammates.  Though Lee threw 82 pitches in six innings and ranked third in the National League with 64 strikeouts, there was not enough offensive support to keep him on the mound past the seventh inning.

As the Phillies rallied together in the last three innings, the true unsung heroes of the evening were the relief pitchers and pinch hitters.  Kyle Kendrick pitched a scoreless eighth with a home run by Shane Victorino, and Ryan Madson pitched a scoreless ninth for his fifth save with extra batting support from Dane Sardinha, Pete Orr and Jimmy Rollins.

The unsung heroes off the field (in conjunction with May’s highlights thus far) are celiac and gluten intolerant advocates, and Moms.

For starters, the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA), under the leadership of Alice Bast, has made great strides in education, diagnosis and awareness.  NFCA’s highlights include, but are not limited to:

• Offering a free continuing medical education program about celiac disease – the first of its kind, designed for the primary care community.
• Informing food industry executives of the growing market for new products, which helped to expand gluten-free snacks at sporting events in Philly (Phillies, Eagles, Sixers and Flyers) and other major cities.

The May 1^st Phillies home game against the New York Mets was a historic night at Citizens Bank Park, as the fans rallied in support of patriotism and the U.S.A. In addition, the game itself was thrilling, as Lee allowed 1 run in seven innings, and the six-pitcher game spanned 14 innings over 4 hours and 44 minutes.

Like the team and fans at Sunday’s game, my family rallied together to help me fight for a healthy, happy gluten-free life. This past weekend, I had a wonderful dining experience at the Pub of Penn Valley in Narberth. Since this was my first time at the Pub post-diagnosis, I was a little skeptical of my gluten-free options.  However, my food preparation concerns quickly diminished when I learned that the owners, their chefs in the kitchen and my waiter were educated in gluten-free dining. With encouragement from my family, I was able to enjoy gluten-free grilled chicken on top of fresh romaine lettuce with a tasty Redbridge gluten free beer.

Tonight, as I lay awake in bed replaying the eighth and ninth innings from last night’s 5-3 game, I cannot help but dedicate this blog to my Mom. She is my advocate, my extra support and my hero—all season long!

-Nadina

*Get your tickets to NFCA’s Celiac Awareness Night at the Phillies and Celiac Awareness Night at the Mets (vs. the Phillies!) by visiting www.CeliacCentral.org »

About Nadina:

Nadina Fraimow began volunteering with the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA) in April 2011, and will be happy to answer messages sent to the info@celiaccentral.org email account. Nadina learned that she has a gluten sensitivity in February 2011, and is grateful for having been diagnosed promptly and correctly by a knowledgeable gastroenterologist. She enjoys running, shopping for gluten-free sweets and creating recipes that are both tasty and healthy. Nadina is a Marketing and Communications professional living and working in Philadelphia. Nadina is also a proud Penn State alumna and an avid fan of the Phillies.