Q&A: Growing Up Celiac

An interview with Daniel Yadgaroff about navigating celiac disease from a young age

One of my favorite parts of writing this newsletter is getting to connect with so many people in the celiac community and share their stories! Just in time for National Volunteer Week happening right now, I had the chance to chat with one of my fellow Beyond Celiac ambassadors, Daniel Yadgaroff.

Daniel was diagnosed with celiac disease around his 4th birthday. Below, he shares what it was like to navigate the gluten-free lifestyle as a kid and teen, how it felt to welcome his dad and sister into the celiac club, how his family got involved with Beyond Celiac, and his favorite gluten-free eats in Philadelphia. 

Daniel with his parents and sister

Q: What do you remember about being diagnosed with celiac disease?

A: I vaguely remember going to a lot of doctors’ appointments and being a picky eater. But truthfully, that’s probably more from stories from my family than anything else. 

My parents took me to around 10 different doctors. I wasn’t growing and was malnourished. I had what they call “failure to thrive” and a distended belly. My mom took me to try on clothes for the new school year and I still fit into last year’s clothes. 

A lot of doctors blamed this on my parents. In the end, my allergist took one look at me and said, “He’s got celiac disease.” My parents were like, “What’s that?” I got tested and had an endoscopy. 

I went gluten-free on a Friday, and on Monday I was a completely different person who had much more energy and was a lot happier. It was a lot of work and very stressful for my parents, but thankfully they were persistent. 

Q: How was it navigating school with celiac disease? 

A: From the beginning, my mom and dad were very proactive about packing food for me and talking to my teachers and other parents.

They also taught me to speak up from a young age. By the time I was in late elementary school, I was pretty good at advocating for myself. 

Q: What was your experience like in high school and college? Did you face any challenges navigating social situations?

A: It can definitely be tough, especially when you’re traveling. I studied abroad in college and there were times when I had to leave the group and find something to eat quickly. But nowadays, most people understand. 

I always say I’d rather be hungry than take a risk. The truth is, sometimes you can’t get something gluten-free if you’re in an unfamiliar place and you don’t know where to go or what’s going on.

Overall, I would say it’s about the people you surround yourself with and just being proactive and doing research in advance. 

Q: Your sister and dad were also diagnosed with celiac disease. What’s it like having multiple family members who now have this in common with you?

A: My family has always been extremely supportive of me and aware of cross-contact and things like that. When my sister got diagnosed with celiac in high school, it was definitely tough at first. But it was kind of a “we’re in this together” type of thing.

Then my dad was diagnosed in his early 50s. It’s really funny—we all joke that my mom is the only one who doesn’t have it. But it’s nice because we get to bond over the gluten-free things that we enjoy. 

Sometimes my dad and sister have a different opinion than I do because they really remember what non-gluten-free foods taste like. Overall, it’s nice that we have each other to get through this, and if any of us ever has a question, we can text each other. 

Q: Tell me about your family’s involvement with Beyond Celiac. 

A: When I was first diagnosed, my parents met Alice Bast, the founder. She was very instrumental in educating them and helping them. She’s somebody who has celiac and was suffering very badly before she was diagnosed. We thank Alice all the time.

My parents have been on various committees for events. My dad’s been involved with the Business Advisory Council. They’ve volunteered a bunch over the years, and my sister and I have volunteered at events. 

Beyond Celiac has always been very near and dear to our hearts. We always try to solicit donations for birthdays. We do what we can. I joined the Reach Beyond Celiac Ambassador Program about a year ago, and my sister, Allison, recently became an ambassador as well. 

Q: Do you have any advice for other guys who might be having celiac symptoms? Anecdotally, I find that a lot of guys will put off going to the doctor. 

A: I have guy friends who brag about not going to the doctor, and I think they’re fools for it.

I think you have to listen to your body. If you’re not feeling well or something’s wrong—for example, you have a headache or a stomach ache all the time—you should go to the doctor to get it checked out instead of saying it’s fine or suffering through it. 

Don’t be such a tough guy about it. Ultimately, you have to keep up with your doctors’ appointments. It’s as simple as just going to the doctor once a year.

Q: You live in Philadelphia. What are some of your favorite places there for gluten-free eats?

A: Some of my favorite places in Philadelphia are Nipotina and P’unk Burger in South Philly. Nipotina has gluten-free chicken cutlets, and P’unk Burger has awesome burgers. They both have dedicated fryers for French fries. 

In the Reading Terminal Market, Fox & Sons has gluten-free funnel cake, corn dogs, fries, cheese curds, and other items like that. Flakely Bakery in Manayunk does amazing French pastries and also sells its bagels at various places around the city.

Lastly, I would say Taffets Bakery in South Philly. They’ve been around forever. They had great gluten-free bread before anywhere else in the city.