10/09/2026
💚 OCTOBER 9TH — NATIONAL PANS/PANDAS AWARENESS DAY 💚
Today, we’re raising awareness for PANS and PANDAS, conditions that can dramatically change a child’s life and impact the entire family.
🧠 What are PANS and PANDAS?
PANS stands for Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome. It is a condition in which a child experiences a sudden onset of symptoms, such as obsessive-compulsive behaviors, severe anxiety, food restriction, emotional changes, sleep disturbances, or a sudden decline in daily functioning. PANS can be associated with infections and other triggers.
PANDAS stands for Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections. It is a subset of these conditions in which symptoms are associated with a strep infection.
💚 Why does awareness matter?
These conditions can appear suddenly, sometimes turning a child's world upside down almost overnight. Behaviors that may look like defiance, anxiety, or emotional outbursts can be signs of a child struggling with something beyond their control.
Families may face confusion, fear, misunderstanding, and a difficult journey to find answers and appropriate care. Children need compassion, understanding, and access to knowledgeable medical professionals—not judgment.
💚 To the parents and caregivers fighting for answers: We see you. We hear you. We know how exhausting it can be to advocate for your child while trying to help them feel like themselves again.
💚 To the children living with PANS/PANDAS: You are not bad, broken, or alone. You deserve to be heard, believed, supported, and loved through every difficult day.
Today, let's spread awareness, educate ourselves, support affected families, and replace judgment with compassion. The more we understand, the better we can support the children and families navigating these challenging conditions.
✨ Share this post. Start a conversation. Be part of the awareness. Every child deserves understanding, and every family deserves support. ✨
PANDASAwarenessDay 💚
