I am seeking $15K in funding to produce a first-of-its-kind book on the subject of PANS/PANDAS in partnership with Michigan State University School of Journalism and Front Edge Publishing. PANS, Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome, and PANDAS, where Strep is the identified infectious trigger, are not well known or understood in the medical community or the general public, but that needs to change. This book, titled 100 Questions and Answers About PANS/PANDAS, aims to bring this emerging neuroimmune disorder into the national spotlight as part of the award-winning Bias Busters series.

World PANS/PANDAS Awareness Day is coming up on October 9, so this is a timely request. The MSU course for production of the book will begin meeting in January 2025, and the anticipated publication date is fall 2025.

My son Isaac was diagnosed with PANS in 2020, after suffering with symptoms for over seven years. I often ask myself: What if one person in our circle of friends and acquaintances had known about PANS and suggested we look into it? How much suffering could our son and our family have been spared? This is why I aspire to make PANS a household name, one that people in every community can recognize, leading to greater understanding, earlier intervention and ultimately better outcomes.

100 Questions and Answers About PANS/PANDAS will offer the best information currently available in a brief, accessible volume and help to expand the audience of PANS awareness in medical settings, schools and places of worship, and the general public.

I am already in conversation with nonprofit organizations in the PANS/PANDAS community around participation and funding. I also know this is a community that is overwhelmed with fundraising needs and demands. As a result, I am looking for donors outside our community, as well, who catch the excitement and want to be part of this landmark project.

All funds raised will go toward production and distribution of the book. Neither the editors (myself included), nor the publisher or students will be taking a salary. The cost of the project includes pre-press setup, book design, keyword analysis, promotional copies and mailing, as well as initial distribution strategies. And of course, more funds raised equals even greater reach.

Let's make PANS a household name, together.

Ann

Ann Bell Worley is the founder of Gray Colored Glasses, a website and blog that offers a lens into the everyday challenges of life with a medically complex child. The vision of Gray Colored Glasses is to make PANS a household name, something people in every community can recognize. The PANS book project, in partnership with Michigan State University and Front Edge Publishing, offers a strategic platform to bring that vision to reality.

PANS/PANDAS book project

100 Questions and Answers About PANS/PANDAS