I was diagnosed with Celiac disease 6 years ago and thus began my journey on the gluten-free diet. At first, it was hard to know what I could and couldn't eat, but now after many years I finally am able to eat healthy once again.

Although I have now taken control of my gluten-free diet, one thing that has bothered me throughout all my years of being Celiac is how EXPENSIVE gluten-free foods are compared to non-gluten-free foods. If you are Celiac, you personally know just how hard it is to have GF foods be more expensive than non-gluten-free foods.

This scenario happens to me way too often: I want to buy some GF cookies at the store, but after considering the small package and the price it is, I decide not to buy them. Meanwhile, everyone else can pick a bag of cookies off the shelf for a fraction of the price of the GF cookies. Using a recent example, the new GF Oreos have just recently come out, and they are 8$! This is twice the price of regular Oreos which are 4$!

Going out to eat is also a struggle. Aside from the fact that most restaurants only have pizza and pasta for "true" GF options, we have to pay an UPCHARGE for ordering these GF items. Let's say if I order the GF pasta, I have to pay an extra 2$-3$ just for ordering the GF version!

Now I'm not asking these companies to reduce the prices of their GF foods since I understand that fewer people buy GF foods which is why they need to be more expensive, but what I am asking, is for the Government of Canada and Justin Trudeau to give all those diagnosed with Celiac a monthly money rebate to help pay the added costs of being on the GF diet.

The Canadian Government currently has a TAX REBATE for those on the GF diet, but this is not enough and is very complicated. First of all, you have to compare the price of every single GF food you buy to a similar food that isn't GF, which as you might guess, is very time-consuming. Also, if you have others in your house who aren't GF and they eat a portion of your GF product, you have to take that off your tax claim. Why should we have to put in so much extra effort to be able to eat foods like everyone else?

It has been too long that the Canadian Government has not helped those with diagnosed Celiac Disease. We didn't choose to be gluten-free, we have an AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE and an EXTREME sensitivity to gluten that gives us unbearable stomach pain, diarrhea, and vomiting to name a few of the many horrible symptoms we get if we ingest gluten.

At the moment the only treatment for Celiac Disease is the GF diet, and there is NO CURE. It's true we can buy other things that are "naturally" GF, but most everyone else can eat whatever they want when they want. If you're Celiac, you know the struggle of going out to eat, of having to find foods you can eat at the grocery store without breaking the bank, and debating on which GF products to buy because you can't afford everything you need and want.

The fact is that in many other countries around the world, those diagnosed with Celiac get a MONTHLY paycheck that helps to cover the added expenses of buying GF products. Why can't Canada do the same?

I have been fortunate enough to have parents that are willing to pay the extra cost most of the time, but I say enough is enough. It's true that many other Celiacs are living on minimum wage or aren't able to afford expensive GF products. Due to this, they are unable to follow the GF diet, and not following a GF diet once diagnosed can lead to many problems including malnutrition, chronic digestive symptoms, anemia, loss of fertility, and may even increase the chances of developing another autoimmune condition.

I made this petition to show the number of people that want and need a Monthly Money Rebate for their required GF diet, and to get the Canadian Government to enact a policy for this to happen. We have a medical condition that needs to be treated with the GF diet, and I find it unfair that we need to pay 2x-3x the amount of money others pay because we have an AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE that at the moment has NO CURE. We need to fight for this and with this petition, we can MAKE THIS HAPPEN.

Even if you don't have Celiac Disease, it would be amazing if you signed to help all of us Celiacs to not stress about what foods to buy due to cost and be able to afford more GF products at stores and at restaurants.

Help the support for this petition grow by signing your name.

Thank you so much for all of your support!