Dylan Dreyer and her son Calvin, 6, cook together on Instagram.Photo:Brian Fichera/Dylan Dreyer Instagram
Brian Fichera/Dylan Dreyer Instagram
Dylan Dreyer’s sonCalvinis back to his best!
Dreyer — who first opened up about her 6-year-old’s diagnosisin an interview with PEOPLE in May— shared that thanks to a gluten-free diet, Calvin “has no more pains, no more headaches, no more stomach aches. He’s just like a regular kid.”
She added that her son is able to enjoy the “delicious food” she makes for him, though she noted that it can be a “pain” to prepare special celiac-friendly meals.
“I packed and made so much food for my mother-in-law to take with her so that he could spend the week up at his grandparents' house,” Dreyer explained. “Different dinners and lunches and breakfast just because it’s a pain. But it’s a pain for me, it’s not a pain for him. He has no idea what I do to make his life totally normal, so he doesn’t know any different.”
Dylan Dreyer with her husband and children.Dylan Dreyer Instagram
Dylan Dreyer Instagram
Calvin was diagnosed with celiac disease earlier this year following a trip to the emergency room after suffering from stomach pain, headaches, rashes and losing hair.
Further results confirmed that Calvin has celiac disease, which is when glutenposes a severe riskto the small intestine, causing diarrhea, abdominal pain and vomiting. The condition doesn’t run in either Dreyer or husband Brian Fichera’s families, she said.
“We were very concerned because we thought it was something much more serious because of how some of the results came back. You start Googling and thinking the worst, so when we found out it was celiac, I could say, ‘Okay that’s an inconvenience, it’s a life change, but we can manage that.’ We were very grateful,” Dreyer said at the time.
Dylan Dreyer on TODAY in April.Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images
Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images
“Holy cow, the feedback when I announced Calvin’s celiac disease [was incredible],” said Dreyer — who also shares sonsRussell “Rusty” James, 19 months, andOliver George, 2½, with Fichera.
“Everybody’s like, ‘Thank you.’ Nobody talks about this because nobody thinks it’s a big deal. But when you live with it, it is,” she added, also noting that simple treats like popping out for a slice of pizza or having a choice of foods at an airport aren’t always possible for those with the disease.
“I want every restaurant to have gluten-free options,” Dreyer said at the event, where American Century Investments is celebrating their 25th anniversary as title sponsor.
The journalist also told PEOPLE that adapting to her son’s needs is something she has done “because it’s my job as his mom to protect him.”
And when Calvin reaches college age and wants to indulge in pizza and beer, “That’s on him," Dreyer said.
source: people.com
