Help Mateo Jauregui
Donation protected
My nephew Mateo just turned 10.
He is smart, loves math and soccer. He is an active, lively boy who loves being outside. Quiet, but in a charming, sweet way. His presence brings a sense of stability and delight to a busy household made up mostly of boys. At least until recently.
Mateo has been diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disorder called PANS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder): https://drroseann.com/pans-pandas-cases-are-on-the-rise/
It is triggered by a bacteria or infection that causes a form of encephalitis in the brain. Within weeks of what started as an infection he began to throw up twenty times a day. This soon turned into a full-blown psychiatric disorder that has resulted in an almost overnight loss of the sweet boy that we know and love.
Mateo is now completely held captive by anxiety, fear, anger, and the inability to control himself when under the smallest amount of pressure. He has lost all sense of joy. He’s deeply depressed, refuses to leave the house, or even bathe due to severe onset OCD.
He will whimper or scream for hours at a time and has taken on facial ticks and grimacing that he cannot control. He is terrified to go outside due to debilitating fear that cripples him and he physically hurts from it. Not only has he become frail and sickly, but it has dramatically affected his ability to read and write along with the math skills that he was so proud of previously.
This disorder can be very difficult to treat and is new on the medical scene. Most hospitals and physicians know very little about it and will not treat it. After taking Mateo to the emergency room at OHSU, the family was sent away with recommendations of other doctors who might know better what to do with him. Although the neurologists and psychiatrists that saw him there agreed that he had the symptoms of this disorder, they were unwilling to diagnose or treat him since they felt there was not enough published data on PANS yet.
Gratefully, his parents (Gaetano and Abby Jauregui) found a Naturopathic doctor who specializes in infectious diseases in Medford where they live. He confirmed their suspicions of it being PANS and has agreed to treat him. Already they have spent thousands of dollars in office visits, labs and diagnostic tests. Nearly all of it is out of pocket because insurance does not cover this type of care.
Mateo’s current treatment plan is 4 different antibiotics, an immune modulating drug, an anti-inflammatory every 3 hours and at least 10 different supplements.
His parents are hopeful that they can get him better, but knowing his diagnosis of PANS they understand that this is an autoimmune disease and they will most likely face similar bouts like this in the future.
Treatment is expensive. Mateo’s parents are more natural minded in their approach and will do their best to avoid any unnecessary treatment but IVIG ((Intravenous Immunoglobulin) is one of the most talked about approaches for this disorder and it is easily 10K per treatment.
This is a good family. They have suffered an immense amount of pain due to this present struggle, along with the past struggle of loosing their eight-year-old daughter nearly 9 years ago.
They hesitate to ask for money, but after visiting them in the hospital and knowing myself how medical bills can pile up, I figured this was a great way for the community around them and those whose hearts are moved, to ease some of the financial burden that is weighing so heavy on them right now.
I love what the scripture says about community and how “There were no needy people among them...”
Thanks to those who read this and even if you have nothing to give financially, we truly covet your prayers...
Written by Tammy Comer (Mateo’s Aunt)
He is smart, loves math and soccer. He is an active, lively boy who loves being outside. Quiet, but in a charming, sweet way. His presence brings a sense of stability and delight to a busy household made up mostly of boys. At least until recently.
Mateo has been diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disorder called PANS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder): https://drroseann.com/pans-pandas-cases-are-on-the-rise/
It is triggered by a bacteria or infection that causes a form of encephalitis in the brain. Within weeks of what started as an infection he began to throw up twenty times a day. This soon turned into a full-blown psychiatric disorder that has resulted in an almost overnight loss of the sweet boy that we know and love.
Mateo is now completely held captive by anxiety, fear, anger, and the inability to control himself when under the smallest amount of pressure. He has lost all sense of joy. He’s deeply depressed, refuses to leave the house, or even bathe due to severe onset OCD.
He will whimper or scream for hours at a time and has taken on facial ticks and grimacing that he cannot control. He is terrified to go outside due to debilitating fear that cripples him and he physically hurts from it. Not only has he become frail and sickly, but it has dramatically affected his ability to read and write along with the math skills that he was so proud of previously.
This disorder can be very difficult to treat and is new on the medical scene. Most hospitals and physicians know very little about it and will not treat it. After taking Mateo to the emergency room at OHSU, the family was sent away with recommendations of other doctors who might know better what to do with him. Although the neurologists and psychiatrists that saw him there agreed that he had the symptoms of this disorder, they were unwilling to diagnose or treat him since they felt there was not enough published data on PANS yet.
Gratefully, his parents (Gaetano and Abby Jauregui) found a Naturopathic doctor who specializes in infectious diseases in Medford where they live. He confirmed their suspicions of it being PANS and has agreed to treat him. Already they have spent thousands of dollars in office visits, labs and diagnostic tests. Nearly all of it is out of pocket because insurance does not cover this type of care.
Mateo’s current treatment plan is 4 different antibiotics, an immune modulating drug, an anti-inflammatory every 3 hours and at least 10 different supplements.
His parents are hopeful that they can get him better, but knowing his diagnosis of PANS they understand that this is an autoimmune disease and they will most likely face similar bouts like this in the future.
Treatment is expensive. Mateo’s parents are more natural minded in their approach and will do their best to avoid any unnecessary treatment but IVIG ((Intravenous Immunoglobulin) is one of the most talked about approaches for this disorder and it is easily 10K per treatment.
This is a good family. They have suffered an immense amount of pain due to this present struggle, along with the past struggle of loosing their eight-year-old daughter nearly 9 years ago.
They hesitate to ask for money, but after visiting them in the hospital and knowing myself how medical bills can pile up, I figured this was a great way for the community around them and those whose hearts are moved, to ease some of the financial burden that is weighing so heavy on them right now.
I love what the scripture says about community and how “There were no needy people among them...”
Thanks to those who read this and even if you have nothing to give financially, we truly covet your prayers...
Written by Tammy Comer (Mateo’s Aunt)
Organizer and beneficiary
Tammy Comer
Organizer
Portland, OR
Gaetano Jauregui
Beneficiary
