I decided to start this go fund me for my sweet friend and her family. Two years ago, their lives were tossed in to chaos when daniels medical challenges began. Daniel has always been known as a caring older brother and vibrant child. He tells the funniest jokes and loves playing games with his little brothers, but for two years, he has struggled to navigate daily life. His family has advocated and fought hard for his health. Unfortunately, after finding no one willing to treat him in Canada, they (fortunately) found a clinic in Mexico that treats his condition with great success. They will be traveling from Canada, and will absorb the cost of the treatment and travel out of pocket. This will be quite expensive, but Daniel has so many people that love and care for him that want to see him get better and help alleviate the financial burden. The goal we have set is an estimate, based on his treatment plan, but there are many variables that may exceed this. The family is so thankful for the community and the many people who have helped in so many different ways. If you are unable to contribute financially, your prayers are also greatly appreciated. We are hopeful that with this treatment, Daniel will make a full recovery, but we are continuing to pray for its success and guidance over the next several months.

from Daniel's mom:

In May 2022, our son Daniel experienced a sudden and extreme loss of previously held skills, such as speech, handwriting, and activities of daily living. This occurred alongside memory loss, refusal to eat and drink, and many other issues. We took him to CHEO and after several days of testing, he was diagnosed with unexplained encephalitis. When further testing did not reveal a cause for this, Daniel was sent home with no real follow-up plan. We were told that this was all part of Daniel’s autism and that with ABA treatment, these symptoms may improve with time.

We kept looking for answers for Daniel. Eventually, we found out about a condition called PANDAS. PANDAS is an acronym standing for Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated with Streptococcal Infections. This childhood disorder results from a strep infection.

Following a strep infection, children who develop PANDAS often experience irritability, aggression, oppositional behavior, depression, a decline in school performance, and developmental regression.

When we learned of this disorder, it was clear to us that this was happening to our son. CHEO would not treat Daniel with anything besides antipsychotics, as we were told they don’t recognize PANDAS. We decided to go to a private clinic in Toronto. They confirmed that Daniel indeed had extremely elevated strep titers and started him on a long-term antibiotic for 8 to 12 weeks. This is the only time we saw real improvement in Daniel during the last 2 years. Unfortunately, the positive results we saw from the antibiotic ended when he came to the end of the prescribed course.

We have been grateful for Daniel’s pediatrician in Ottawa who also diagnosed Daniel with PANDAS and sought providers to treat him. Throughout the last two years, Daniel has had numerous infections with strep. Each one worsens his condition and behavior problems. Unfortunately, Daniel was not accepted into the PANDAS clinic at SickKids in Toronto, and we were left with very limited options.

After looking all over the US and Canada, we found a clinic in Mexico with extensive knowledge in treating PANDAS and other autoimmune conditions. We had an initial consultation which gave us much hope that our son could make a full recovery, as really nothing has been tried besides antibiotics.

We are so hopeful that this treatment will help Daniel. The last two years have been a true nightmare for him. He begs us to help him with what he calls his “bad thoughts”. He struggles in every area of his life now and has lost so much to PANDAS. This has also taken a great toll on his relationships with friends and siblings, because of his inability to control his body and his intrusive thoughts.

While the cost of this treatment will be great, the cost of losing Daniel’s future and his bright, lovely personality to this condition is so much more immense. So we have decided that we will seek treatment in Mexico and trust that God will continue to guide us in helping Daniel overcome this condition. Daniel will be treated in Mexcio for 4 to 6 weeks, beginning August 6th. We would appreciate your prayers for Daniel and our family as we move forward with this treatment and are so thankful for the prayers and help we have received already.