A SCHOOLGIRL endured 18 months of severe stomach problems and lost dramatic amounts of weight while doctors missed her potentially life-threatening condition.
Isabelle was too ill to compete in her gymnastics competitions and spend time with her classmates – but medics dismissed it as an upset tummy.
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The five-year-old girl first displayed signs of illness when she was just five years old. She appeared pale and drained of energy.
She felt more tired and had severe stomach pains.
It took her GP months to refer her, and 18 more to finally diagnose her condition.
Her dad Peter, from Conwy, north Wales, said: “Isabelle didn’t seem to be growing as much as some of her friends and was often bloated.
“She was also thin and pale.
“We saw our GP repeatedly, but they kept telling me it was just an upset stomach.
“We had a lot of pressure to get her referred to the local hospital for a test.
“Even with a referral, it still took nearly a year and a half to get the full diagnosis.”
Isabelle was finally diagnosed with coeliac disease, a life-long and serious condition in which the body’s immune system attacks itself.
It can cause anaemia and osteoporosis as well as infertility if left untreated.
Peter said that the entire process was a success. “really undermined Isabelle’s confidence”This left her with very little or no strength to do the things that most children love.
“She was too worn out to do her favourite sports,”He said.
“She often had to miss out on her gymnastic and triathlon training and competitions.”
Her family believed she might have this condition. She is required to eat a gluten-free diet because her aunt and grandmother both have it.
Doctors believed she was suffering from mild stomach problems and dismissed it as unrelated.
“If it wasn’t for our family history, I think we might still be waiting,”Peter said.
“Since diagnosis, Isabelle is a completely different child, and we’re so happy to see the change in her and her growth is more on track.
“We have adjusted her diet and taught her siblings about the foods she can and can’t have and also about cross contamination, to make sure everyone understands her needs.”
What is coeliac Disease?
One in 100 Brits is affected by coeliac disease.
When the immune system (the body’s defense against infection) misunderstands gluten, which is a dietary protein found within wheat, rye and oats, as a threat, it attacks healthy tissue.
This causes damage to your small intestine (gut), and you cannot absorb nutrients from food.
You may experience diarrhoea or abdominal pain, as well as bloating.
Although there is no cure for the condition, a gluten-free diet can help manage symptoms and prevent long-term complications.
These include anaemia, weakening bones (osteoporosis), pregnancy complications, and certain types of cancer.
Isabelle, now 12, said: “Now that I’m eating the right foods, I have a lot more energy and my tummy doesn’t feel full all the time.
“I am able to participate in all my favorite sports again, and I have also begun my new hobbies of singing, drama, and skiing.
“I would like more people to know about the symptoms of coeliac disease so more people get tested early, especially children like me who may not know that anything could be wrong.”
As Coeliac UK launches its campaign for children to be diagnosed faster, Peter and Isabelle share their experiences.
Research shows that quarter of the children living with this condition in the UK spend more than two decades in pain waiting to be diagnosed.
However, once it has been diagnosed, it can usually be treated and in most cases even eliminated by eating only gluten-free foods.
Experts advise parents to be aware of signs such as fatigue, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, slow growth, or other symptoms. They can also use a simple test to check for the illness. Self-assessment form.
Dr Peter Gillett, consultant paediatric gastroenterologist at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh and member of Coeliac UK’s Health Advisory Council, said: “I have seen time and time again how coeliac disease has a daily impact on those who suffer and truly can destroy childhoods.
“But there is good news – it can be managed by a carefully controlled, gluten free diet and as soon as gluten is removed from the diet, the body begins to repair the gut lining and so symptoms reduce and for most will stop fairly quickly.
“I find it astounding, every day, how transformational moving to a gluten free diet can be for a child with coeliac disease and their family.”
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