10/09/2025
Thank you P.A.N.D.A.S. Network ....
💚✨ PANDAS/PANS Awareness Day — The Story Behind the Movement ✨💚
In 2008, a brave 12-year-old boy named Stefanos Mitsogiorgakis suddenly developed severe OCD, tics, and even lost some of his math skills after a strep infection 😔. Doctors diagnosed him with PANDAS, a condition many had never even heard of at the time.
Despite powerful treatments — plasmapheresis, IVIG, and antibiotics 💉 — Stefanos would get better, only to relapse again. The Mayo Clinic later discovered deep infections in his tonsils that were causing those relapses 😢.
His mom, Christine, refused to give up 💪. She reached out to Assembly woman Nicole Malliotakis, who was deeply moved by their story and took action. Together, they helped establish an official PANDAS Awareness Day in New York — approved by then-Governor Cuomo 🎗️👏.
Christine said, “I’ve never hidden Stefanos. Our community knows how much loss he’s suffered.”
Their courage and openness gave hope to so many families, lighting the way for awareness, understanding, and change 🌟.
💚 You can help too! 💚
Here are a few ways to make a difference:
📄 Share flyers at your school or doctor’s office
✉️ Write to your local leaders to show your support
🎉 Host a small fundraiser or awareness event — every penny helps fund research, education, and advocacy!
Let’s keep spreading the word so no family feels alone in this fight. 💚🧠✨
