“PANS PANDAS UK means that I am not alone. If you know about them, they know about you and they are working for you. So, it just takes away that isolation and desperation.”

We are the only UK charity working to raise awareness of PANS and PANDAS.

Can you help us to support more families like Mitch’s?

Why should I become a Friend of PANS PANDAS UK?

Becoming a regular donor can help us support more young people like Mitch. At just 12 years old, Mitch experienced symptoms that, at the time, were unexplainable. Here is Mitch’s story, in his own words:

“My journey started with a lot of confusion and desperation. Everything came to the forefront when I was bullied, and that brought out most of my symptoms. It was an interesting mix of the symptoms causing me to be bullied, and then being exaggerated by the bullying. What was so confusing though, was that some days it didn’t affect me and other days it did!

As my condition escalated, I left my first school after a bad incident. I was out of school for six months, my social life collapsed, my friends wouldn’t speak to me. I left all my sports clubs because they were a trigger too, my life collapsed around me. The only thing I had left was motorsport, it was the only thing that kept me going, that was all I had left.

In 2018, my parents found PANS PANDAS UK. Finding the charity gave us all a sense of belonging and recognition. PANS PANDAS UK means that I am not alone. If you know about them, they know about you and they are working for you. So, it just takes away that isolation and desperation. I am now able to point my friends or teachers to the website if they need to know something, or I don’t know what to say.

Now, I am pretty good. Looking back, there were loads of moments that parents shouldn’t have to deal with, like the confusing behaviour and desperation. Their support to help me is brilliant, and all initially just with the support of PANS PANDAS UK, a couple of Facebook groups and some leaflets! To do that much to help me get to this point was superhuman, really.

With your help, we will continue to drive forward understanding and change. We need you on this journey towards more equitable recognition, treatment and support.