A little over 6 years ago my frined, Emma, who was 14 at the time, contracted a strep infection after an outbreak in her school. That infection would lead to a condition called Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (commonly known as "PANS"). Her symptoms started with migraines, then grew to include grand mal seizures. Over the years the list of symptoms have grown to include loss of eyesight, facial palsy, loss of mobility, difficulty speaking, and an increase in the frequency of seizures. Additionally, she was diagnosed with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (or POTS) which makes moving difficult due to rapid loss in blood pressure. To complicate matters her mother and full-time caregiver, Tamara, is also a lupus patient. As difficult as all this sounds, there is a glimmer of hope for Emma. There is an experimental treatment that has been tested in other patients with her conditions and has shown good levels of success. Emma and her mother will be traveling to St. Louis to the James Clinic for this treatment. However, there are costs associated with travel and treatment. With both Tamara and Emma being on disability support for their conditions, any funds they would raise personally would count against their income limits for disability. So, I am raising funds to pay for things for them. All funds collected (minus the GoFundMe fees) will go to support their trip and treatments for Emma. Please join me in supporting them in what could be a defining moment of hope in the fight against Emma's illnesses. Any help you can provide will be greatly appreciated.