WHAT:  Florida Hospital DeLand’s Celiac Disease Support Group

WHEN:   The first Wednesday of every other month. The first meeting in 2008 will be held on Wednesday, February 6 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. For more information about the support group, contact Annie Melo at (386) 943-4805 or annie.melo@fhdeland.org. To access the full 2008 meeting schedule, visit www.fhdeland.org.

WHERE:  Classroom 1A at Florida Hospital DeLand
701 West Plymouth Avenue, DeLand, FL.  

WHY: The Celiac Disease Support Group meets bimonthly to help individuals and families that suffer from this genetic, digestive disease that damages the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food.  Individuals who have celiac disease cannot tolerate a protein called gluten, found in wheat, rye, and barley.  When those who suffer from the disease eat foods or use products containing gluten, their immune systems respond by damaging the small intestine. Celiac disease is triggered—or becomes active for the first time—after surgery, pregnancy, childbirth, viral infection, or severe emotional stress.
    
Florida Hospital DeLand, located at 701 West Plymouth Avenue in DeLand, was established in 1962 and is a 156-bed acute-care hospital. Florida Hospital DeLand is a part of the Adventist Health System; the largest Protestant not-for-profit hospital system in the nation and works to provide exceptional, patient-focused care to the DeLand community. For more information about Florida Hospital DeLand visit www.fhdeland.org.