Hi, I am Gillian, and I am raising funds to support the launch of PANS+ Scotland - an organisation established to support those impacted by the neuropsychiatric condition PANS (Paediatric Acute onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome) and other immune-mediated neuropsychiatric conditions in Scotland.
PANS is a complex neuropsychiatric condition, which can lead to a wide range of challenging symptoms, which are not within a person’s control.
Primary symptoms:
- Rapid onset of: OCD, tics, or extreme food restriction.
Secondary symptoms:
- Mental health symptoms including anxiety, emotional liability, aggression, severely oppositional behaviours, and/or depression.
- Behavioural (developmental) regression such as speaking with a ‘baby voice’.
- Cognitive challenges, leading to deterioration in school performance.
- Sensory or motor abnormalities.
- Physical symptoms including sleep disturbances and toileting issues.
The organisation was started in late 2025, and is staffed by volunteers. Our main costs are maintaining our online presence through our website and Microsoft Teams, this has been funded through our setup by the volunteers - but that is not a situation we want to continue.
Having been operational for 3 months we have made significant progress, with resources available on our website, freedom of information requests made of regional health boards across Scotland and growing awareness in the Scottish Parliament with 32 MSPs signing a motion in support of those with PANS and PANDAS (a sub-condition of PANS) and our work. We are now preparing to apply to OSCR for charitable status.
Any donations in excess of funding our operational costs will be used in the first instance in the procurement of awareness raising materials, and then in the development of support resources for those impacted.
Thank you for your support
Organizer
Gillian Mathewson
Organizer