ABOUT
I'M TIFFANY, AND THIS IS OUR STORY
After a bout with RSV in August 2021, my 4-year-old fell into a downward spiral of constant rages, OCD fixations, debilitating fears, and the worst part—no answers. Different experts gave their opinions. Maybe it was ADHD, OCD, ODD, ASD, SPD, anxiety, or some combination of all of them.
What they DIDN’T tell me was that when you have that many things happening at once, there’s almost always a root cause. So with an exhausting amount of questions, an agonizing daily struggle… I started frantically researching. For two long years.
I researched anxiety disorders, mood disturbances, sensory problems in kids. But nothing clicked until July of 2023, when I finally started looking into PANS/PANDAS… and my brain exploded.
My son ticked every box. Every symptom. And I remember thinking—WHY DIDN'T ANYONE TELL ME THIS?
I finally had a name for what we were experiencing, and that in itself was a gasp of fresh air after two years of confusion. Thank God, we finally had a compass for the deep wilderness we’d been lost in.
I won't lie, it's still been an uphill battle.
But through it all, I realized one thing...
YOU CAN'T DEFEAT...
WHAT YOU CAN'T DEFINE.
I BELIEVE YOU, AS A PANS/PANDAS CAREGIVER, DESERVE A MOMENT OF REST AND ENCOURAGEMENT IN THE MIDST OF THE STRUGGLE.
THAT'S why I care so much about advocacy and being open about what we've gone through.
Because maybe you're like I was... furiously Googling keywords to hopefully find SOMETHING, some clue to answer the question about what my son was experiencing.
Maybe you already know what you're dealing with and your life is consumed with trying to find the magic bullet (or the magic combination of magic bullets) that will give your PANDA a bright new future.
I'm with you. I believe you'll find it. But don't forget, YOU also need support while you work to heal your amazing child.
There are always new medicines, new detoxes, and new supplements to try–and it's easy to get overwhelmed in the chaos of finding the "right" treatment.
I’m committed to spreading hope and awareness about PANS/PANDAS… to make sure no other parent has to navigate the same impossible jungle without even knowing what they’re fighting.
But my biggest goal in writing is that you, the caregiver, would walk away with some new strength for the battle.
Because there IS hope for PANS/PANDAS. There IS light at the end of the tunnel.
And I truly believe that with community, advocacy, and courage... PANDAS kids (and their PANDAS parents) are gonna change the world one day.