A Life-Changing Diagnosis
When I was three years old, my mom was helping me try on my fall clothes and was alarmed to discover that I hadn’t outgrown my clothes from the previous autumn. I had a distended belly, skinny arms and legs, and was lethargic and malnourished. I was so small that I wasn’t even on the growth charts. But after going on a strict gluten-free diet in early 2003, I grew four inches in a year and got my energy back. I went gluten-free on a Friday and on Monday was a totally different person, having gained my energy back.
Connecting with Community and Beyond Celiac
Throughout my childhood, I often had to navigate being gluten-free at social events, whether it be a playdate, birthday party, bar mitzvah, etc. When I was first diagnosed, my parents made everything from scratch, but as I got older and celiac disease became more well-known, more gluten-free options became available, thanks to Beyond Celiac.
Thankfully my parents, Jamie and David Yadgaroff, got involved with Beyond Celiac back when I was first diagnosed in 2003, when it was still referred to as the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness. For my bar mitzvah service project and at other times during my adolescence, I volunteered with Beyond Celiac, in an effort to give back to the organization that advocates for me day in and day out.
Now that I am out of college and settled into my career, my goal is to provide support and advocate for all of those managing celiac disease each day through joining the Reach Beyond Celiac Ambassador Program. I hope to make a difference by providing tips and tricks to making life with celiac disease a little bit easier each day, as well as sharing my wealth of knowledge on gluten-free dining while traveling and during business events.
Finding Success
Today you can find me as an associate director at GREA Mid-Atlantic where I advise both private capital and institutional investors with their individual asset and portfolio goals, focusing on clients in the Greater Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, DC Multi-Family Markets.
