According to Boston Children’s Hospital, an estimated one in 133 people in the United States has Celiac disease. As students are learning what it means to live a gluten-free life, the Celiac Club is ensuring that no one has to do it alone.

Sophomores and club leaders Rayna Shahani, Brielle Hwang and Kailee Hadar started the club this year and meet every X-block in room 386 of the 115 Greenough building. Their mission is to spread awareness and bring together students who share similar challenges, helping them connect, learn and educate others about celiac disease.

According to Shahani, not many people understand how deeply celiac disease can affect someone’s daily life.

“I think a lot of people think that celiac is just an allergy, but it’s more,” Shahani said. “It’s a disease, so it affects more than an allergy does because it can cause cancer and affect the immune system.”

Hwang, who has lived with Celiac disease since she was three years old, said that creating this space felt especially important.

“I didn’t really tell people that I had celiac when I was younger because I was embarrassed,” Hwang said. “Then I realized some of my friends had it too, and [that] maybe we can make a space for other people who have celiac to come out [and] feel safer talking about [it]. So that they would realize, ‘I’m not alone.’”

Hwang said she hopes that through the club, students with celiac disease can feel more understood and included in social and school settings. She said everyday situations, such as dining out, can be difficult due to celiac disease.

“If we have dinner with friends, I always have to eat something different,” Hwang said. “I always feel like a burden because I have to get different food.”

In addition to providing peer support, the club is working to make practical improvements within the school. Hadar said that one of the club’s key goals this year is to make school lunches safer and more inclusive for students with dietary restrictions.

“We’re planning to reach out to the school, specifically to try to get more celiac-safe options and better options for lunch,” Hadar said.

Looking ahead, the club plans to expand its initiative through local fundraisers at the high school.

“We’re going to do a couple of walks with the Celiac Foundation, and we’re going to do some bake sales to raise money for our club,” Shahani said.

Hadar said the ultimate goal of the club is to build a school environment that is more informed about celiac disease and inclusive for everyone.

“I think it’s important to bring together people with celiac disease and help each other and give advice on how we do certain things,” Hadar said. “I hope that it will make people more inclusive and more understanding and be able to give more allergy-free options.”