PANDAS and PANS are autoimmune disorders that are caused by common infections, such as strep, Lyme, pneumonia, and mold. These illnesses affect the basal ganglia, a crucial brain area for cognition, motor function, and emotional regulation. As a result, many children (most commonly ages 4-9) experience a sudden onset of psychiatric symptoms and behavioral changes overnight, such as:

Obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCD)
Anxiety & separation anxiety
Depression
Severe motor tics
Cognitive decline, often leading to worse academic performance
Motor decline, often manifesting in handwriting difficulties
Enuresis (bedwetting)
Seizures
Psychosis

One their own each symptom is brutal to deal with. But, when many or all of them happen suddenly at the same time, it can make life a living nightmare for children and their family. In many cases, entire childhoods are lost, as many doctors misdiagnose children with Tourette's Syndrome, ADHD, autism, low intelligence, OCD, FND, depression, and many more. However, when a child receives proper treatment (antibiotics, IVIG, rituxin, steroids, etc.) symptoms decrease significantly and can even fully resolve, allowing children and their families to return to living a happy and fulfilling life.

However, the vast majority of children remain misdiagnosed, and even those who get properly diagnosed often go without treatment, as insurers claim that treatment is "experimental" and not medically-necessary, despite clinical evidence proving otherwise. For these reasons, the National PANDAS/PANS Youth Alliance (NPYA) was formed to amplify youth voices in order to spread awareness, unite PANDAS/PANS youth, and advocate for research funding, insurance mandates, and state advisory councils on PANDAS/PANS.

WE CAN'T DO THIS ALONE! We need YOUR HELP to raise enough money to allow us to:

Fly out to advocacy events (such as the NPYA did this past April in Washington, D.C.)
Fly out to mental health conferences (such as NAMICON)
Organize PANDAS/PANS youth events (such as 5Ks and get-togethers)
Give grants to research funding
Give grants to cover treatment costs for PANDAS/PANS youth in-need

We hope you help us heal America's youth and redefine the way that PANDAS/PANS youth are medically treated by donating!

Much love,

The National PANDAS/PANS Youth Alliance

Young Voices, Big Impact: Support PANDAS/PANS youth leading the fight for neuroimmune care.