Help Augustine Wallace Beat PANS/PANDAS!

After many years searching for a diagnosis for their son, David and Elizabeth Wallace finally learned in August 2018 that their sweet, 11-year-old Augustine has PANS/PANDAS.

Finally, they could put a name to the host of sudden and debilitating symptoms that hit Augustine when he was only seven: severe OCD; horrible intrusive thoughts; painful, embarrassing, and sometimes prohibitive physical tics; loss of ability in mathematics and handwriting; drastically reduced large motor skills; severe depression and anxiety; and insomnia lasting months on end.

Getting a diagnosis was a relief, but the Wallaces’ journey is still far from over.

With many doctors unfamiliar with this relatively “new” condition, they had to turn to an out-of-network specialist for Augustine to even receive his initial diagnosis -- and insurance isn’t covering the majority of the care he needs to put this disease into remission.

The projected costs to treat Augustine’s condition are anticipated to cost $12,000 through 2019 alone -- a sum that far exceeds the Wallace’s ability to pay.  

David and Elizabeth have done so much for the community of Front Royal, VA, and beyond -- David as the Director of Religious Education for St. John’s, adjunct professor at Christendom College’s Graduate School, and catechist at Divinum Auxilium Academy; Elizabeth as a Montessori teacher, Catechesis of the Good Shepherd catechist, and postpartum doula. (That’s six jobs between them!)

Beyond their jobs, anyone who knows the Wallaces knows that they are incredibly generous, caring, and loving people who would give you the shirt off their back at a moment’s notice if you needed it.  In addition to their amazing Augustine, they have five other curious, rambunctious kids who will steal your heart away with their cuteness!

I’ve been blessed to know Elizabeth since both of us were ten. I’ve personally experienced the warmth she provides to new moms as a postpartum doula, and seen the strength she gives to mothers who are struggling. Now this momma and her family need some support of her own.  

Let’s help the Wallaces get Augustine the care he so desperately needs to heal and thrive!



What Is PANS/PANDAS?

Are you scratching your head and thinking that you’ve never heard of PANS/PANDAS before? Unfortunately, many doctors have the same reaction.  

PANS stands for Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome.  According to Stanford Children’s Health , “PANS is a clinical diagnosis given to children who have a dramatic – almost overnight – onset of neuropsychiatric symptoms including Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and/or eating disorder.”

PANDAS is an acronym for Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated with Streptococcal Infections.

Specifically, PANDAS is an autoimmune condition in which either strep and/or lymes antibodies attack the basal ganglia of the brain, causing drastic and sudden decline in large motor and emotional and psychiatric abilities.  According to Stanford Children’s Health , “To date, PANDAS is the only known subset of PANS, but we may discover more in the future."

While these are relatively “new” conditions, awareness is slowly growing. WTOP (103.5 FM, for residents local to DC) recently wrote an article detailing how debilitating PANDAS can be, how hard parents have had to fight for their children’s condition to be taken seriously, and how difficult it can be to get insurance to cover treatment: “When strep triggers attack on brain, kids see ‘terrifying’ symptoms.” 

You can also find additional information about PANS/PANDAS at the National Institute of Mental Health’s webpage , and within this article by the U.S. News and World Report:, “PANDAS: When a Simple Strep Throat Leads to Frightening Behavior.” 


Augustine’s Journey

The Wallaces first knew something was wrong with Augustine in 2015, when his behavior suddenly changed after he was sick with scarlet fever (an infection that falls within the strep family).

Month after month, David and Elizabeth exhausted every possibility trying to determine what was going wrong with their sweet son. They tried occupational therapy and had him undergo numerous psychological evaluations.  

However, the in-network doctors available through their insurance approached Augustine’s symptoms with a mindset of disbelief or dismissal.  Every route that the Wallaces pursued through their insurance was a dead end.

Finally, the Wallaces learned about PANS/PANDAS through their own independent research. In August 2018, they met with a PANS/PANDAS specialist who confirmed their suspicions and diagnosed Augustine with the condition, nearly four years after the start of the symptoms.



How Important This Treatment Is for Augustine

Behind Augustine’s sufferings is is an extremely empathetic and intelligent little boy who loves to read constantly, loves his pet rabbit and cats, and wants to learn anything he can about anything.  Dinosaurs and his blog, www.prehistorydatabase.blogspot.com, are Augustine’s main loves right now -- and legos too! He enjoys nature, but sadly the PANS/PANDAS makes him sensitive to heat and sunlight.

Augustine is a helpful, caring fellow around the house and loves his little sister almost more than dinosaur research. However, his condition has been very difficult for him. His diagnosis was extremely comforting to him, as he finally felt it wasn’t his fault and he wasn’t alone.