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Feb/Mar 2010
Life Story
A Nose for Trouble: Peanut-Detecting Dogs
Concerns about anaphylaxis kept the Gensel family and their peanut-allergic son Billy from staying in hotels while traveling. It hovered over the prospect of playing at friends’ houses due to this deadly food-allergy. Billy missed out on holiday parties and the family reunions. But now, Billy cites travel as one of his favorite activities as Remy the family peanut-detecting dog checks out the hotel rooms and sniffs plates of food for Billy’s meals. This past summer, Karen Gensel, Billy and Remy embarked on a five-week trip where Billy was able to enjoy experiences that had previously been off limits.
Straight Talker: Celiac Disease
Celiac disease, a genetic autoimmune disorder, is a hypersensitivity to gluten, the protein in wheat, barley and rye. With symptoms that can mimic many other health conditions, millions of Americans (about 1 in 100) have the disease but 97 percent remain undiagnosed. For years, Heidi Collins was one of them. The popular television anchor of CNN Newsroom, Heidi Collins is a serious journalist who covers hard topics every weekday morning. She recently took time to talk with editor Alicia Woodward about living gluten free.