PANS/PANDAS Awareness Day brings attention to a rare but serious health issue in children.
PANS (Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome) and PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections) cause sudden, intense changes in behavior.
A child may go from calm to fearful overnight. They might stop eating, develop tics, or struggle with obsessive thoughts. The shift can be fast and frightening.
These symptoms often follow common infections like strep throat. The brain reacts as if it’s under attack, and things spiral quickly.
Families facing this often feel lost. They watch their child change without warning, unsure of where to turn.
PANS/PANDAS Awareness Day gives their stories a place to be heard. It pushes for faster diagnosis and better support.
Doctors, teachers, and friends all play a role. The more people understand, the sooner kids can get help. One voice leads to another, building strength and action. That shared effort can bring children back to themselves.
How to Observe PANS/PANDAS Awareness Day
Here are some thoughtful ways to mark PANS/PANDAS Awareness Day:
Learn Before You Share
Take time to read trusted sources about what families face. Understanding the signs—like sudden tics or personality shifts—can change how people respond.
Reading a personal account or medical article helps you speak clearly when someone asks questions. One well-informed voice can spark thoughtful conversations in places that need them most.
Offer a Platform
Give space to someone who’s lived through it. Invite a parent, advocate, or teen to share their story with your group, class, or workplace.
Listening with patience, without judgment, helps others feel seen. You don’t need a stage—just a few open ears and time to listen.
Talk to a Teacher
Reach out to a school and ask if they know about PANS/PANDAS. Many don’t. Share a short guide or direct them to expert resources.
When educators understand the condition, students get support instead of shame. That conversation might protect a child from years of confusion.
Write Something That Sticks
Craft a short post, letter, or comic that explains what this condition feels like. Use your voice to make the invisible visible.
Whether it’s poetry, art, or a blog, your message could land in front of someone who really needs it. That ripple might reach farther than you expect.
Help a Family Navigate
Offer support to a friend who’s searching for answers. Drop off dinner. Babysit siblings. Ask how they’re doing—then listen.
These quiet gestures carry weight when life feels chaotic. For many parents, knowing someone cares makes all the difference.
History of PANS/PANDAS Awareness Day
PANS/PANDAS Awareness Day began with one family’s fight to understand what happened to their child. After a strep infection, 12-year-old Stefanos Mitsogiorgakis changed overnight.
He developed sudden tics, obsessive thoughts, and couldn’t keep up in school. His mother, Christine, searched for answers and found few. She pushed for greater awareness so other families wouldn’t feel as lost.
In 2010, she reached out to New York officials with a clear request: recognize the condition and help others see it too.
Assembly member Nicole Malliotakis responded. With support from Governor Andrew Cuomo, New York officially declared October 9 as PANS/PANDAS Awareness Day.
The announcement gave families a voice and helped open more conversations with schools, doctors, and lawmakers.
Around the same time, the PANDAS Network—a group formed by parents and doctors—began spreading knowledge across the country.
In the years that followed, awareness efforts grew. National and international organizations like ASPIRE and the Inflamed Brain Alliance launched campaigns to inform and unite communities.
Events, fundraisers, and educational talks started to pop up each year. Today, this day is more than a date. It’s a growing movement powered by families, doctors, and advocates. Their shared goal: faster help, better care, and hope for kids around the world.
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