RHOC star Emily Simpson’s son was just diagnosed with PANDAS, here’s what it means
Moms that watch the show played a huge part in his diagnosis
During the Real Housewives of Orange County reunion, Emily Simpson got unexpectedly candid, not about housewives drama, but about something much more personal.
She revealed that her 10-year-old son, Luke, had been struggling in ways that left her completely shocked.
“He regressed behaviourally,” she shared. “He went from being a happy fourth grader that no teacher had ever said there’s issues, and all of a sudden, my child just completely changed.”
That emotional moment on the reunion couch has now led to a major revelation. Emily says Luke has officially been diagnosed with a rare autoimmune condition called PANDAS, something she only discovered thanks to RHOC viewers who reached out with their own stories.
Emily’s son first dealt with developmental and behavioural shifts
It all started earlier this year when Emily noticed that Luke was suddenly acting out and losing progress he’d made both socially and academically.
“He regressed behaviourally,” she said, adding that she “didn’t know what was going on” as her son’s speech and behaviour became more childlike overnight, per E! News.
Before the new diagnosis, Luke had already been managing ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder), an eating condition that can cause extreme selectiveness and anxiety around food.
That alone would be difficult for any family, but Emily explained that the new symptoms were “completely different.”
The sudden change prompted her to post online for advice, where she was flooded with messages from moms suggesting she look into something called PANDAS. That one clue ended up being the key to unlocking what was really happening.
He’s now been diagnosed with PANDAS
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RHOC‘s Emily says Luke’s doctors believe the condition was triggered by a severe case of strep throat he had back in January.
“With PANDAS, the strep gets into the brain and causes inflammation,” she explained. The autoimmune response can lead to dramatic behavioural shifts, tics, anxiety, or even baby-talk, all symptoms Emily had noticed in her son.
Now that Luke has been officially diagnosed, he’s preparing to undergo a five-day course of laser treatment designed to reduce brain inflammation.
“He asked me if the laser would hurt, and I said, ‘No, it won’t hurt,'” Emily shared. She’s hopeful this next step will help bring her son back to feeling like himself again.
“I would have never known to test my child for PANDAS if it wasn’t for these moms that watch and reached out to me,” Emily said.
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