Celebrities who have Celiac Disease

 Getting diagnosed with Celiac Disease can be pretty tough (believe me, I remember how hard it was for me). You may be the first among your family and/or friends that has been diagnosed as Celiac. It can be lonely (even though my grandmother had it, and I was partially raised by her, she had been gone for a few years when I was diagnosed. I had no one).

What gave me some comfort was that I was not alone. Some of the celebrities I look up to were also Celiac Disease sufferers. People like Elizabeth Hasselbeck and Emmy Rossum had been living with the disease for years before I was diagnosed. I researched both and learned a lot from them. Also, learning that my first celeb crush has 2 Celiacs in his family really helped me feel less alone.

Here is a list of celebs who have diagnosed Celiac Disease:

• Elizabeth Hasselbeck (public figure)
• Emmy Rossum (actress)
• Wil Wheaton's mom and sister
• Meg Cabot (author)
• Sarah Joy Brown (actress)
• Joe C (rapper who frequently performed with Kid Rock in the early 2000s. He died from complications associated with Celiac Disease)
• Adrianne Palicki (actress)
• Deborah Ann Woll

Many more have also been diagnosed. I know that last year, Mandy Moore (singer/actress) was tested for Celiac, but she never confirmed having Celiac Disease.

We are not alone in this world. We have each other. Together, we need to raise awareness so that the world takes our illness seriously. Never be afraid to speak up.