Vermont PANS/PANDAS 5K Run/Walk

🏃‍♂️ Vermont PANS/PANDAS 5K Run/Walk

Welcome to the first-ever PANS/PANDAS Awareness event in Vermont! Join us for a 5K fun run and walk along in Burlington on October 12, 2024 to raise awareness for PANS/PANDAS here in Vermont—an often-overlooked autoimmune disorder said to affect 1 in 200 children. We’re calling on our amazing citizens of Vermont to join us in raising awareness and making the first steps towards change and healing.

🔬 What are PANS and PANDAS?

PANS (Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome) and PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal infections) occur when a child’s immune response to an infection causes inflammation in the brain. The inflammation can cause the sudden onset of behavioral, neurological, and personality changes. The effects of PANS/PANDAS on children and their families are devastating—yet these conditions are still relatively unknown in Vermont, making diagnosis and treatment extremely difficult. Learn more about this condition and its symptoms.

📝 A note from Gaskell family

As a family of 5 living in Burlington, Vermont, we’ve endured the hardships of PANDAS and are rising up from its ashes to bring awareness. In September 2022, at age 8, our son, Enzo, experienced a sudden, acute onset of extreme neuropsychiatric symptoms. As his parents, we sought help from doctors, psychiatrists, and local resources but to no avail: Enzo’s condition continued to spiral. Thanks to one of Enzo’s former teachers, who witnessed our struggle and had read about PANDAS on Facebook, we got a first glimpse of what could be happening. In June 2023, a clinic at Dartmouth Hospital diagnosed Enzo with PANDAS. Since then, treatment and recovery have been long and arduous, however finally—now almost two years later—Enzo’s condition has stabilized. With a bit of blue sky returning for our family, we’ve emerged with a clear mission: to help others living with this devastating condition.