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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2023 - 2024
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | September 27, 2023 11:22 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Tina M. Davis |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Resolution Designating October 9, 2023 as "PANDAS Awareness Day" in Pennsylvania |
| In the near future, I will be introducing a resolution designating October 9, 2023, as “PANDAS Awareness Day” in Pennsylvania. PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections) occurs when a strep infection triggers a misdirected immune response, resulting in inflammation on a child’s brain. The child quickly begins to exhibit life changing symptoms such as OCD, anxiety, tics, personality changes, a decline in math and handwriting abilities, sensory sensitivities, and restrictive eating. The PANDAS Network estimates that PANDAS affects as many as 1 in 200 children. PANDAS is frequently misdiagnosed and mistreated due to the lack of awareness and conflicting interpretations and subjective observation in the medical community. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has dedicated resources to research and broaden awareness of the disorder, but PANDAS still remains a subject of much debate and controversy. Please join me in recognizing October 9, 2023, as “PANDAS Awareness Day” to bring awareness of this new and unfamiliar disorder to the public and medical community and encourage more research to determine the cause of PANDAS and more effective treatments for children suffering from the disorder. |
Introduced as HR239