Nicole Harper from the Levittown section of Bristol Township went to Harrisburg on a mission of sorts. It was on behalf of her son Tyler and parents across Pennsylvania.
With the help of state Rep. Tina Davis (D-141), that mission was accomplished Wednesday as the House designated October 9 as PANDAS Awareness Day in the commonwealth.
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The designation comes as awareness about PANDAS is now coming to light for families throughout the country as awareness days have been passed in the same manner in a number of states.
“PANDAS are pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections and weren’t even diagnosed until 1998,” said Davis, whose H.R. 1048 was approved unanimously. “There is a great need to increase awareness of the disorders among parents, medical professionals and the public,” Davis said.
A mother herself of three, Davis said she feels its part of her job to help educate mothers and fathers about the disorder in the state and getting the resolution approved by the House will allow her colleagues to do the same with their constituents
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With the official awareness day now on the books, Hubbard said her goal raising awareness about the disorder is far from over.
Harper said she was ecstatic that the house passed the resolution and was thankful for Davis’ help in helping to get the resolution passed.
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In talking about the illness, Davis said: “once PANDAS symptoms strike, a child faces serious health challenges” Further adding “By increasing awareness of the disorders, we can encourage more research to determine the cause of PANDAS and more effective treatments for children suffering from the disorders.”
Davis said a big problem is there is no conclusive laboratory tests that exist to determine a diagnosis of PANDAS. Adding that “Funding for research and outreach is scarce, yet the prevalence of the disorders among children is conservatively estimated at 162,000 at any given time.”
According to National Institute of Mental Health PANDAS afflicts children who have a diagnosis of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and/or Tic Disorder and and the strep throat infection amplifies the symptoms of those mental health challenges taking what is already a complicated health issue to another level intensity.
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The disorders, marked by the sudden onset of obsessive-compulsive-like issues, are often misdiagnosed and mistreated,” Davis said. “Funding for research and outreach is scarce, yet the prevalence of the disorders among children is conservatively estimated at 162,000 at any given time.”
More information about PANDAS is available by clicking here
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Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated Nicole Harper’s name as Nicole Hubbart.
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