My name is Jennifer and I am raising funds for a dear friend who has reached a turning point in her daughter's treatment for PANDAS, but they don't have the funds to manage it.

Lucy is 10 years old and has been sick for 2 years with a condition that has stripped her of her childhood, leaving her locked in her home most of the week - with OCD, depression, severe anxiety, and irrational fears.

PANDAS is brain inflammation following a routine childhood strep infection. While the mechanisms are still under research, something goes wrong with the gut and the blood-brain barrier such that the immune system attacks the brain.

Lucy's mom, Kim, and her dad, John, have spent their savings and then some on treatment. Lucy has the opportunity right now to see great results and perhaps reversal of this condition using weekly hyperbaric treatments and vagus nerve stimulation. These are not covered by insurance.

Yesterday, Kim told me that it feels like she left Lucy on the West Coast - which was their last family vacation. Lucy got sick and she lost her childhood there, disappearing into a haze of rituals and intrusive thoughts. This is EXACTLY what it feels like. You put your child to bed one day and they wake up locked away and lost to you. Kim lost her ability to work, leave the home, contribute to her church community, and so much more.

PANDAS is a devastating condition that my son has recovered from. It took 8 years from our lives and this is why I am writing this plea to help my friend, Kim. When we see a path out, we must find a way to walk that path. Will you help Lucy come back to us?