Real Housewives of Orange County star Emily Simpson shared an update on her son, Luke, after revealing he was diagnosed with PANDAS at the season 19 reunion.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, PANDAS, or pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections, refers to a group of symptoms, such as tics and obsessive-compulsive behavior, that is thought to affect kids who’ve had strep infections.
An update on Luke:
Andy Cohen asked how her son is doing. Emily answered it is “very complicated.”
“He went from a happy fourth grader that no teacher had ever said, like, there’s issues. He was gifted. And all of a sudden, my child just completely changed,” Emily said of her son. “He just regressed. He started talking like a baby. Acting out. And I was so confused.”
“And when the first episode aired, I had so many moms in my DMs saying, ‘Have you checked into PANDAS?’ It’s very complicated. I’m not a medical doctor, but it’s associated with strep throat.”
Emily said her son had a very bad case of strep throat this past January, which could’ve caused PANDAS. “The bacteria remain, and then it affects the brain. The brain swells. So all of these symptoms are associated with strep throat. There’s a higher risk in kids who are on the spectrum. And also, he has ARFID. I mean, all roads kind of lead back to being on the spectrum.”
ARFID, or avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder, is a condition where people limit their food intake caused by fear or anxiety about food or the consequences of eating.
What’s next for Luke:
Andy asked about PANDAS, “Is it something that can be treated?”
“He is going to have a laser treatment on his brain to reduce the swelling in his brain,” explained Emily. Luke asked if the laser would hurt. “I said, ‘No, it won’t hurt.’ So, he has to go five days in a row for three hours. It’s supposed to reduce the swelling.”
She went on to say that while it’s been overwhelming, she’s grateful for the moms who DM’d her and suggested she check out PANDAS.
“I would’ve never known to have my child tested for PANDAS if it wasn’t for these moms who watch and reached out to me and told me. So it’s been an amazing community of sharing information and learning, and that means a lot to me,” Emily concluded.
