A local mother is helping to raise awareness about an illness she says has robbed her two boys of their childhood.
Both of Jen Ducharme’s sons suffer from PANDAS – or Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections – and she says it’s taken eight years to find some help.
“It’s been endless doctor visits, lab tests, prescriptions, supplements, that’s all become a way of life for us,” Ducharme says. “My children were healthy, happy, well adjusted little boys, now their childhood has been stolen from them.”
Ducharme says one of the most frustrating aspects of the illness is the lack of understanding within the medical community.
“There are still some doctors who have never even heard of the disease and there are many who will resist acknowledging it even exists,” she says. “The more people know about it, the more pressure there will be on the medical community to do the research, acknowledge, diagnose, and treat the disease.”
Some of the main symptoms associated with PANDAS are a sudden onset of anxiety, motor and vocal tics, and obsessive/compulsive behaviours.
Ducharme has created a slideshow featuring kids from across Canada to help increase awareness.
The short film is being shown along with a PANDAS documentary at screenings across the country.
To learn more about the illness, you can visit the PANDAS Network.