(Okoboji)– A support group for a disease associated with an autoimmune disorder will hold it’s statewide conference later this fall in the Iowa Great Lakes. The Northwest Iowa Celiac Support Group will hold its annual gathering October 1st at Arrowwood Resort in Okoboji.
The event will also offer continuing education credits to dieticians, nurses, social workers and others, along with some world-renown speakers including Celiac researcher Joseph A. Murray, M.D. who’s based out of Rochester, Minnesota. Dieticians, authors, and those that have lived with the disease for many years will also be featured.
Celiac Disease, sometimes referred to as Celiac Sprue, is an autoimmune disorder that damages the small intestine and affects the ability to absorb nutrients from food. Those with the disease cannot tolerate gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye and barley.
The Northwest Iowa Celiac Support group is a non-profit organization that supports the needs of patients, family and friends as they cope with changes in diet and lifestyle. Support meetings are held the last Saturday of each month at Spencer Municipal Hospital.
More information on the upcoming conference can be found on line at www.iowaceliacconference.blogspot.com.
