It makes our journey possible!! Without this grant we would not have had the ability to keep fighting, or to keep trying or to keep succeeding one tiny step at a time. This disease takes such a toll but I have to ask myself: As tired as we get, how exhausted must Emerson be? Thanks to your foundation we can continue to help Emerson with one less thing to worry about.

The Look. Grant removed financial barriers to effective treatment. Your foundation gave us the opportunity to pursue advanced diagnostic tests and integrative treatment options. The fear of financial costs limited our family from pursuing these treatment options for several years. The grant literally lifted a weight for us. It broke down barriers. I do not believe that our children would be at this point in their healing journey without the grant we received. We are so grateful!

-Michele

To have advice and support from experts who understand PANS' impact on the child and the family is so important. Healing is a holistic process for the child and the family which requires multiple providers, medications and emotional support. The grant relieved much of the financial burden of care not covered by insurance. I am very grateful for the assistance.

-Jillian

The most impactful opportunity that my Grant money afforded me was the chance to revisit my Dr. and take the necessary tests I needed. Also, this helped me to further understand what is causing my symptoms.

This journey has been long and difficult. A year ago I wouldn’t have been well enough to head to college. But now, I am able to! Very grateful for all that I have learned about my condition. I’m eager to understand more and continue to heal.

Feeling validated and being supported emotionally as a caregiver has given me the strength and determination to help further heal my son. Receiving financial support has allowed us to access additional diagnostics and appointments to continue to customize his ever changing treatment plan. Knowing and being part of a community with others who understand how incredibly difficult PANS is, has given me hope to not give up and pursue further healing.

-Colleen

The grant has allowed me to pay for a lot of testing for gut health and follow up Bartonella testing that is other wise not covered by insurance. This allowed us to get treatment for something that would have other wise gone untreated and undiagnosed.

-Karen

The grant helped us access resources that we would not have been able to access without the grant. Above all the community community that we are now a part of is the most useful aspect of this grant.

-Jennifer

We had a very tough journey at the beginning with providers who did not support the diagnosis and we are grateful for those we found who do and provide excellent care. Healing is a holistic process for the child and the family which requires multiple providers, medications and emotional support. The grant relieved much of the financial burden of care not covered by insurance. I am very grateful for the assistance.

-Sarah

Words will never come close to expressing my gratitude for being awarded the grant to assist on my healing journey. I am striving for nothing short of total healing, so I can one day join you all in helping others who battle PANS & PANDAS. All my love & gratitude.

We now have important avenues to explore and possibilities for healing Ava. I’m so grateful for your insights and support. Your wisdom and generosity are deeply appreciated. I hope we are on the other side of this soon. I will let you know how we progress. Thanks again for everything.

-Ava

The Look. Grant allowed us to continue working with our current OT and receiving treatment from our specialist for Wyatt.

-Wyatt

The most impactful opportunity the grant provided us is peace of mind. Having two daughters afflicted with PANS has been emotionally and financially draining. This grant money will cover some of the monthly expenses for supplements and therapy, alleviating an immense amount of stress and allowing us to be able to relax and worry less about money. We are so very grateful for this support

We are extremely gracious for the grant afforded to us in support of Jake's treatment.

We were able to enjoy quality time this past summer as a family. The Foundation has been extremely helpful in allowing us an important outlet to tell our story and share information among families. Thank you!

The Look. grant allowed us to pursue some specialty testing that we otherwise wouldn't have been able to do at this time. We would have had to wait until my son wasn't getting such expensive treatment (IG and immunotherapy). The grant has given us some breathing room. While we have sent in the tests, we haven't yet met with the provider to understand the results. It does appear he is positive for producing folate receptor antibodies, so will start a medication for that. We do look forward to what we'll learn from the Intellxx DNA test as we keep peeling back the onion!

-Jacob

We were able to restart appts with Resilience Naturopathic, and we were able to schedule with rheumatology, both of which we were unable to do before due to cost. We are making some progress again after stalling out due to finances before. The Look Foundation is the only reason we were able to do so.

-Bryn

The grant helped us pay for diagnostic testing as well as the services of a PANS/PANDAS physician. Because of Connor's condition, he could not attend school regularly so I had to leave my job. This put an enormous strain on our finances. The grant helped relieve some of the financial burden so we can focus on getting Connor better.

Having this grant has made it possible to defray some of the expense of putting my son into a 30-day care program while he is in crisis. Insurance was not an option, and this grant covers a full sixth of the cost of his care. It has given me peace of mind knowing he can get the help he needs; help that I don't have the skill set to provide on my own.

-Cian

It helped with specialist, and treatments. Supplements, doctors visit and therapy. It helped me to heal with some of my symptoms.

-Alyssa

The Look. Foundation allowed our family to breathe a bit easier as we knew many of our medical bills would be covered. In all of the chaos of this illness... all of the trauma and heartache.... it gave us a bit of peace knowing we didn't have to worry about finding the money to pay for specialized treatments for our daughter. It gave us hope when we felt hopeless. It allowed us to focus on healing rather than worrying about finances. The money has been used to fund IVIG copays/deductibles, specialized neuro integration work from a chiropractor, and also compounded medications. It also helped fund healing supplements that help with detox and gut support. For the next installment of the grant (if we are granted it), we will use it to continue to pay for neuro integration work, compounded medications, functional med doctor visits and, if possible, for acupuncture treatments and homeopathy. Thank you so much for everything.

-Paloma

The Foundation grant afforded us the chance to take my daughter to get the right supplements and see a PANS/PANDAS doctor. My daughter is in a much better place and we are so grateful to you. Thank you thank you thank you!

The grant helped us continue very expense treatment for our daughter. We have to get regular testing with her doctor. She has to take supplements and get MRIs. All can get expensive and add up. It has helped her continue to feel well. She is prone to getting tired as well as nausea and dis regularity with her moods. Everything we are doing helps her continue to feel well enough to be able to go to school and do homework.

-Sarina

Makayla had no energy, sensitive to light, headaches. ticks, ocd, panic, brain fog, Was not able to attend school. Now with treatment, we are making great progress. She is attending Dearborn Academy this fall.. Her anxiety has been better, she is able to get out, she is walking and exercising, smiling .. which we have not seen in over a year.. we look forward to working with our doctors for continued progress ... My wife and I cannot thank the Look. Foundation enough for providing financial support to get our daughter better

-Makayla

Our journey with PANS has been nothing short of horrific and devastating. But because of the testing we were able to do with the Grant money, we became armed with important medical information about the overload of infection antibodies plaguing our daughter’s body and brain. I can happily say that today, Abby’s health is dramatically improving, and she is back to school full time after missing more than half of her middle school years. We now have hope for a future for our daughter that we could not see two years ago. The Grant helped us get here, and we couldn’t be more grateful.

Cory's PANS/Lyme healing journey, which began many years ago, has been filled with incredible challenges and heartaches. The grant helped to provide Cory with the consistent treatment he needed. This helped to transform Cory's health, which has made such a positive impact on our lives. We are ever so grateful to the foundation for their generous, caring support, which has given our family hope and peace. Truly a blessing! With grateful hearts, Cory and family

The treatment for her pans symptoms. Her severe OCD, anxiety, lethargy and sleep disturbances. She needs to be seen and treated by her doctors that doesn’t accept insurance. Her symptoms are being treated by her psychiatrist and Lyme specialist. Hopefully, she will start healing soon.

-Alyssa

The Look. Foundation grant has helped me afford the many supplements and medications I need to treat Lyme-based PANS. I knew the healing journey would be expensive even before I found out that I have Lyme disease, but now that I'm learning more about my condition and how all of my symptoms are connected, the treatment expenses would be completely out of reach for me if I didn't have this grant. I am deeply grateful to the Look. Foundation for awarding me this grant to help treat PANS. This grant offered me the support I never would have been able to afford on my own. For the first time in a while, I feel like I’m on the right path, moving toward healing and reclaiming the life I thought I’d lost. This opportunity is helping me get back to feeling like myself again, giving me a real chance to experience my 20s with hope, strength, and clarity. I truly can’t thank you enough for putting me on the road to recovery.

-Olivia

The foundation grant was truly a blessing, as it offered us the ability to do more extensive testing on each of our three children. We were able to more accurately understand the complexity of their medical challenges, so that we could treat them effectively for Lyme disease/co-infections and mold toxicity. We are profoundly grateful for the support of Look. and we would not be where we are today in our healing journey if not for their generosity.

The Look. Grant has allowed us the ability to have trusted experts as part of our son's care team.

-Brendan

One of the biggest impacts this grant afforded our family was lifting the stress of the financial burden of being able to provide Sophie with the care she needs and not driving us further into credit card debt. This grant has been a blessing. We no longer have to cancel or reschedule her doctor or therapist visits because we don't have the money to cover them. Sophie still has a long road ahead of her, but now that she is receiving her mental health and doctor's visits at more frequent intervals, I pray she will heal faster. One huge bonus is that she has not had a flare requiring a steroid burst since we have been able to start her healing journey with Dr. Jessica Moore from Resilience Naturopathic.

-Sophia

A little over a year ago was the start of Eli's worst flare ever, after having PANS for 7 years. While PANS flares always cost a lot, the financial costs of this flare were huge. We were (and remain) completely maxed out financially because of it. The Look foundation grant has allowed us to continue treatment when we otherwise would really be struggling to do so. Eli has left the worst of the flare symptoms behind and is slowly improving. In what has been an extremely tough year, the Look foundation grant gave us hope and resources to continue fighting. In the months before applying for the grant, Eli had many emergency doctor appointments during his flare, and all new blood testing. The Look foundation grant earmarked only for his medical care has allowed us to fully afford to put into action the plans that his doctors created during this time. It has helped Eli to come out of the flare and back to living a more normal life. He has a long healing journey ahead still, but this grant made continuing treatment possible. Last summer was the scariest time I've ever experienced as a parent, and due to what this grant has allowed, Eli's health and symptoms have shown steady improvement.

-Eli

The most important thing that the grant afforded our family was belonging to a community. Before , our PANS world was very lonely. It is nice to have people who are going through the same thing and can understand what you're going through. The compassion that the foundation has shown us is something we will never forget.

I think the full extent of the impact of the grant can't even be fully appreciated yet, as it takes months or even years sometimes for people to recover. The grant makes it possible for me to continue seeing my LLMD/PANS/PANDAS specialist. She does not accept insurance, but her expertise is greatly needed as my case is 16 years in the making. This affects my healing journey by helping me continue to finance it. Otherwise, the large bills from her appointments add up and in the past, I have had to space out treatments because I was not able to afford them. It makes the whole process take longer and it also can lead to you slipping backwards in the interim.

-Elise

We are eternally grateful for the Look. Foundation as we live in constant stress from Sierra's disease. We have been fighter her PANS for over 5 years, and it has caused us not only stress and fear, but a huge financial burden. So knowing she was granted some money to help with our never-ending medical bills means the world to us! It lifted some of the financial burden, which is huge!!

-Sierra

We are ever so grateful for the grant which has provided options for medical care we couldn't otherwise afford as we strive towards a path of healing for my son. It has brought my son and I some peace of mind knowing he has doctors that understand and know how to treat PANS/PANDAS. Having the the Foundation as a support has helped us realize we are not alone and have hope for healing.

We were so grateful to learn that your foundation offered grants to those in need who have children with PANS/PANDAS. The process was incredibly easy to walk through, and the foundation was so kind and generous. It is because of the grant we received that we were able to access providers who are giving both of our children lifesaving treatment and care. We are so grateful to the foundation for their generosity and kindness. Without this grant, we would not be walking our children toward health.

The grant allowed us to explore alternative therapies, not covered by our insurance plan, in addition to traditional medicine. Alternative therapies give us hope and guidance. They provide nutrition and behavioral tools that supplement traditional medical interventions and support physical healing.

-Sebastiano

Having the Look. Grant allowed us to continue seeing and receiving treatments from functional dpctors. They were able to give us a treatment plan and provide supplements to support her mold toxicity, detoxing and lyme/ co-infections that have been misdiagnosed and dismissed by her traditional doctors. This gave us a chance to find answers. Meet with practitioners who believed us, listened to us, and took the time to look for the root cause of her symptoms. Created a path for us to begin healing. AND made us feel as if we were not alone on this journey.

-Willow

The Look. Grant gave our family a financial breather. We have already been on a treatment path for Hudson, but since we went out of state and to a functional specialist for PANS/PANDAS, insurance didn’t touch it so we’ve just been out of pocket for this treatment plan and the first installment of the grant came at the right time as one of the payments was due. We’ve seen Hudson come a long way on his healing journey with treatment from his doctor. This grant just relieved some of the stress of normal life finances as it helped cover his treatment expenses from his doctor.

This grant has offered us the opportunity for testing and treatment. We had previously been putting everything on the credit cards, and building our debt which was very stressful. We were able to finally pursue testing that's been recommended to our son for years, and get some very helpful information that's enabling us to target treatment. We now know he is still dealing with an infection, two molds in his body, yeast, and several deficiencies. The grant has offered our family hope, in a time that was incredibly dark. We haven't felt seen or understood for many years. We've been desperate, and felt abandoned by the medical community as our son continued to spiral downward. The Look foundation has changed that, we are incredibly grateful. Thank you for the gift of treatment and hope. Our son has been sick for a very long time (11 years). The grant has affected his healing by allowing us to dig deeper. We have been able to do more testing, try more recommended supplements and medications, and stick with alternative and traditional treatment methods. He is making progress, and even though he has a ways to go, it's an incredible relief to know we have the opportunity to continue the journey. We now have hope our son will have a future where he has more possibilities, and isn't always sick, exhausted, severely depressed and missing out.

-Jayden

The Look. Foundation grant was truly life-changing for our family. It allowed us to afford essential supplements, IV vitamins, and helped us purchase an HBOT chamber—each playing a crucial role in Tristan’s recovery. Most importantly, it contributed to the cost of IVIG, a treatment that has made a profound difference in his health. Thanks to this support, Tristan is back to being happy and thriving in school, and his overall well-being has improved tremendously. This grant eased our financial burden and gave us hope and the ability to focus on his healing without constant worry. We are deeply grateful for this opportunity and the impact it has had on Tristan’s life.

The Look. Grant afforded us the opportunity to receive prompt medical care from our team of PANDAS specialists when our son needed it the most. In January of 2025 our son experienced his first major flare since his diagnosis in January of 2024. With the aid of this grant we have been able to schedule multiple appointments with his complex care team that otherwise would have been financially impossible. The ability to visit with his providers monthly and sometimes even bi monthly have allowed us to monitor his symptoms in real time and adjust treatment plans accordingly. We have also been able to order multiple labs, not covered by insurance, that have directed a more thorough path to healing. We are forever grateful to the LOOK Foundation for being a source of light for our family during dark and uncertain times.

-Oliver

The Look. Grant afforded me the opportunity to pay for the copays for medications and doctors' appointments to further evaluate and treat both my PANS/PANDAS and infections exacerbating my condition, including Bartonella, mycoplasma, and Lyme. The complications of PANS/PANDAS have cost me a career, putting me into a tight financial situation, which was alleviated, thanks to the generosity of the Look. Foundation. Because of the treatment I have been able to access, I have been experiencing glimpses of my old life and capabilities once again. Though I am still in the process of healing, these glimpses are heartening, and have encouraged me to continue to claw my way back to health.

-Genevieve

Thalia continues to receive biweekly high dose IVIG infusions, but her symptoms seem to have plateaued instead of cleared up as we were hoping. OCD, anxiety, panic attacks, joint pain, extreme fatigue & sensory issues still manifest just at lower intensities/frequencies. Due to the Look. Grant, we've been able to afford supplementing her treatment with antimicrobials under the guidance of Dr. Foss at the Lyme & PANS Treatment Center in Hingham which slowly but surely seems to be lessening symptom intensity & frequency. The grant helps us pay for these visits, the bloodwork Dr. Foss uses to track infection & inflammation as well as the supplements he prescribes.
Currently Thalia is having fewer panic attacks (down to 1-2/month) which is incredible and the most significant improvement! She feels less anxious overall & OCD is very much controlled. Most of all Thalia is attending school regularly and without much trouble. Last year at this time, Thalia was unable to attend school at all and had to finish 9th grade from home. Her anxiety was so severe that she could not enter the school building. So she is doing significantly better than 1 year ago. What a relief!

One year ago our household was in utter turmoil. We were in the beginning stages of a PANS diagnosis for Sebastian's big sister Hazel and suspected that Sebastian would receive the same diagnosis. Around this time we started working with Lighthouse Complex Care. We were very fortunate to have much of this care covered by insurance, but the extensive regimen of supplements was entirely out of pocket. At first these costs were manageable, but with each new test and appointment, more functional interventions were added to our care plan. Soon the cost of treating our children was exceeding our finances. The Look. grant gave us the ability to follow the best possible treatment plan for our children without having to deplete our savings or go without in other areas of life. These funds truly were the difference between having to choose between care and other necessities, or having to forgo the best care. Our children have been in treatment for a year now and the results are remarkable. We have moved from a hunkered down, survival way of life to thriving and joy. There are so many examples but here is a salient one: Last summer we tried to take the kids to the Philly zoo. It was a beautiful, sunny day. We were completely miserable. The kids were wracked with OCD symptoms, totally disregulated and could not enjoy anything. Last week we tried again. We took our kids to the zoo and it was a lovely day out for our family. Happy, calm and regulated children who could experience wonder and joy. The difference is so stark between where we were before treatment and where we are now. Thank you to everyone at the Look. Foundation and all of your generous supporters for giving us this day at the zoo. As a parent, when you watch your children suffer from a disorder whose primary symptom is to take away their capacity for joy and peace, getting to just watch the otters play is like a dream.

-Sebastian

We are so thankful for the support of Look. Foundation. The funding has enabled us to seek additional more alternative care for our son. After seeing excellent results from IVIG, we wanted to continue the healing process and sought the care of a holistic doctor. The Look. Grant covered her initial visit and also testing for food sensitivities. We have been following her guidance and our son is now eating a much healthier and more varied diet. It has benefited the entire family. We have also used the Look. Grant to see a neurologic based chiropractor that focuses on calming the vagus nerve. Our son has always dealt with extreme sensory challenges, and we are hoping this particular chiropractic care will address his sensory needs. It should also help with his ADHD. We are already seeing some excellent improvements. He is wrapping up his most successful soccer season after having to take the fall season off and is starting to play hockey again after taking a couple years off due to his extreme sensory avoiding and the inability to wear the gear. He is also finishing up 6th grade with honors. We are so incredibly thankful to the Look. Foundation. We look forward to seeing even more improvements and will continue to share our journey. The support provided by Look. has been so helpful in our healing journey. We are receiving financial support to help with more alternative & long-term care for our son. We are also receiving community support from other parents that are on a similar journey. That alone is invaluable

-Evan

The Look. Grant provided me the opportunity to continue the treatment I need to continue my healing journey. It helped to provide the financial means to cover some of the doctor appointments, supplements, medications, and testing that are an essential part of getting me to full recovery. The grant has been such a blessing and gift! Having the peace of mind that comes from not having to worry about the financial strain and burden because of this grant, helped us to pursue the treatment and get more answers as to how I was healing and to be able to continue the protocol with the supplements and prescriptions we have seen such progress and recovery through. It also allowed us to continue to see my PANS specialist doctor who was able to uncover some things that have really aided my quality of life and added to my healing. Look. gave us support we needed on what can otherwise be a very lonely journey. My mom is also thankful to connect with the Look. village. Thank you, Look. Foundation, for all you do raising awareness for PANS and PANDAS and the financial support you give! My family and I are incredibly grateful!

I am extremely grateful to the Look. Grant for giving me the ability to tap into some alternative treatments, testing, and supplements that my insurance did not cover. I financially would not have been able to try these without this grant. I am eternally grateful that I received this grant to help use towards my son's healing journey. I am saddened that so many children and families are struggling with PANS/PANDAS and live in a world where many do not understand or have compassion towards what we all deal with. I am grateful for Look.'s guidance, resources, and community. I will continue to advocate and fight for my son. I wish everyone on this journey peace and healing. I feel that the most impactful opportunities that the Look. Grant afforded my family was the ability to try different modalities, testing, and supplements that were not covered by insurance.

-Brendan

The Look. Grant afforded us the ability to reach out for further medical help, testing and bloodwork to uncover why Matt's symptoms weren't going away. We have since uncovered that his Lyme/Bartonella has be reactivated from having COVID. He has been diagnosed with long-haulers COVID since this testing has been done. He has been under further treatment with antibiotics since May and is starting to finally feel better. The bloodwork alone has been close to $5000 so this grant has helped us tremendously. It has helped uncover why his symptoms were not subsiding with the treatment he had been on for over a year. Now, with this bloodwork and testing he is starting to feel better and heal after receiving treatment for Bartonella.

-Matthew

My son has been sick for so long now, we really hit a complete roadblock on treatment as well as a community who truly understands. We now are getting the treatments and testing he truly needed to move forward and get healthy. The stress relief that the Look. Grant has created for our family is indescribable. We were truly at rock bottom when we found the Look. Foundation and have hope back that felt so lost. Testing and treatments I would not have been able to afford without the support of the Look. Foundation as well as the Village calls to connect with so many other like minded parents who truly understand our struggle and share resources and support. We are still on our journey and not in remission yet but the Look. Foundation restored hope to our family.

We were able to get pharmacogenetic testing done for Sara. It was very helpful in understanding why some medications were not working for her. It is a helpful tool that will guide us going forward. Sara was saying for a really long time a certain medication wasn't working, she felt worse when taking it. We just chalked it up to her being somewhat dramatic, she is a 17-year-old teenager, and her not consistently taking her medication. When we had the pharmacological testing done, Sara was vindicated. The medication she was taking was not one that works with her genetic make-up. This information helped us create a new plan of care for her.

It helped remove a tremendous amount of stress, as it enabled us to pursue healing options that were not covered by insurance (namely supplements and other natural modalities). The ability to worry less about the cost of treatment so that we could focus our efforts in other areas.

-Enzo

The Look. Grant afforded us the opportunity to pursue all specialty labs and testing while we continue to treat and seek healing for Ethan. It has been a luxury to have this grant and not leave any stone unturned. Several years into this journey, we continue to seek root causes, heal infections and support Ethan's health as we walk through each day. We cannot say enough about the impact the Look. Grant has had on our healing journey. Having the funds available has taken the stress off us as parents to not have to pick and choose what to do, when, and how much. We have used this money to offset the unforseen costs of specialty labs, mold treatment and the multitude of expensive supplements Ethan needs in addition to the regular costs we weather for office visits, prescription medication and over the counter supplements. We are continuing to chase after the root causes and heal them, and continue to treat Ethan's symptoms as they flare. This grant has helped us rule in, rule out, and inform all of the treatment options ahead. We continue to have a long road of healing ahead and can't thank you enough for this amazing support.

-Ethan

My son has been really struggling. His PANS is compounded with an autism diagnosis and mental health challenges. It has required more appointments with Peggy Chapman than I imagine is normal and this grant has allowed us to see her as much as we need to. Prior to receiving this grant, we held off as long as possible because we couldn't afford the office visits. The Look. Grant has sped up treatment trials, opened other treatment options and given my son regular access to his specialist. The confidence in knowing Jamie has access to appropriate care without the worry of finances is invaluable. Financial stress is the last thing a family needs when trying to heal their child. Look. has given us access and a piece of mind as we navigate this treatment journey. We are SO appreciative for the opportunities this has given him/us.

The Look. Grant has afforded my son some clarity surrounding his diagnosis. We have been able to identify some root causes that were not evident prior to receiving the grant. We are still very much in the process of treating my son's illness. However, we feel as though we have a clearer path laid out for us now after receiving targeted services from the grant.

-Nathan

To have advice and support from experts who understand PANS' impact on the child and the family is so important. We had a very tough journey at the beginning with providers who did not support the diagnosis and we are grateful for those we found who do and provide excellent care. Healing is a holistic process for the child and the family which requires multiple providers, medications and emotional support. The grant relieved much of the financial burden of care not covered by insurance. I am very grateful for the assistance. To have multiple visits with Dr. McCormack of Bridges Consultants for advice on management of my son's PANS diagnosis, as well as reimbursement for expensive compounded medications since oral medication is poorly tolerated at this time. Future funds will support our copays for his upcoming IVIG.

-Tristan

Being able to do the Intellexxdna testing. This test showed us several gene markers making him susceptible to celiac, as well as not being able to detox properly which helps us understand why he isn’t detoxing as expected. The test will allow us to focus on the underlying cause and be more supportive with other ways.

-Benjamin

After fighting for IVIG and pharmacy approval, we were given an unexpected bill for office administration that wasn't clear in the process. After being awarded the grant, we are so relieved that it could cover this unexpected expense. Other out of pocket expenses that have been extremely beneficial are ozone treatments - all of these trials and treatments are only possible with pulling money from places that we need for regular family funds. The grant money gave us a chance to breathe thru the financial strain of constantly managing symptoms and treatment. Both ozone and IVIG have been part of the healing journey. We are so grateful for the Look Foundation and what it is doing for all of us who are still in the trenches with ongoing care and treatment.

-Patience

The Look. Grant allowed my family the ability to provide treatment for my child without having to worry about how we are going to afford it. PANS families have so many battles to face each and every day....taking the financial burden away allows us to focus our energy on trying to heal our children. This grant has been a bright light in an otherwise dark journey. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts! This grant allowed us to purchase high quality supplements to heal my child's gut and immune system. It also covered labwork, tests such as EKGs as well doctor visits with a functional medicine doctor who does not accept insurance. If we are awarded the second installment of the grant, we will use a large portion of that money to re-test for tickborne infections with Igenex, another lab that insurance doesn't cover and which runs in the thousands. Doing this will allow his doctor to tailor his treatment for any reactivation that may have occurred this winter, which has been rough for him. Thank you !

The Look. Grant allowed us to continue working with our current OT and receiving treatment from our specialist for Wyatt. The continued support from these professionals is invaluable and allows us to continue to take steps forward in his healing.

-Wyatt

Having this grant allowed us to add in a new therapy that starts this week. Our daughter will begin Brain Integration to help with her brain fog and fatigue to to help her system heal. We have so many regular bills for supplements and therapy and doctors already that we could not swing the extra therapy with out this grant. Having this grant cover the day to day costs we have to help us save up for the Brain Integration is so impactful for us. Knowing I am not alone in this while trying to heal my daughter. The money is huge but the emotional support knowing I am understood and heard and seen as a mom of a child with PANS is huge. Money is so tight with all these expenses and although this grant just scratches the surface of how many bills we have to heal our child, we so appreciate the help and it does help! I was stretched so thin financially keeping up with her supplement, Natural path, Biomagnetic Therapy and regular doctor fees that i did not think Brain Integration was going to be feasible. This allowed me to add in that therapy which i am grateful for. This is such a lonely illness, being a parent of a child with PANS is so hard and it feels like me against the world. Having help with the costs was huge but being awarded it made me feel so seen, understood and no longer alone.

-Kayla

Hands down, our grant allowed us to finally move out of a state of paralysis and overwhelm to move forward and pursue a next step for Sam. We had put off treatment with Resliance Homeopathy because of financial reasons and the deeper we got into debt, the harder it was to pull ourselves out and know what to do next. With a grant from Look. Foundation, we were able to finally take a deep breath, do a little research, and make a plan for the next phase of Sam’s treatment. Sam came down with mycoplasma pneumonia this fall, which ignited a multi month flare. In the past, flares like this have caused a complete collapse of our home life and put us all into a long term trauma response. But this time, with our Look. grant in place and our new naturopathic doctor helping with a treatment plan, we felt supported. This flare has been difficult, but much more manageable and short lived than anything we experienced in the past. Most of all, we have hope that Sam is getting better and confidence in a path for healing.

The grant has allowed us to think outside the box with Kai’s treatments. We mostly have been following a conventional medical plan. Although Kai is more stable he continues to have significant flares every time he has a new infection. We are currently in the process of finding a functional medicine provider. When you pay for supplements, copays, long term antibiotics etc you don’t think too much of it and the. When you sit down and add up the monthly costs to keep Kai stable it adds up very quickly! The grant has helped decrease the stress of the financial burden and treating Kai’s illness. Our family will forever be grateful to the Look. Foundation. Not just for the grant which was awarded to Kai but for the support you have provided and the community you have connected us with. I remember last fall attending our first Look walk- my husband looked to me and said you would never know looking around this crowd the inner struggles each of these families has gone through. How true is that statement. To the outside we look put together our kids at times look like healthy normal kids- but each of us have had a long battle. Whether it is with insurance companies, finding the right doctors, second guessing if we are making the right choice for our children, making financial decisions to see how we can pay the bills. I also like to call it instagram vs reality. I find myself sharing my happy moments with my friends and families but the hard moments, the moments that make me shatter inside I hold those close and I rarely find myself sharing. The Look. Foundation has helped me start to heal, start to work through the hardest moments we faced when Kai got sick. I don’t feel so alone anymore. I feel I have a community that even in silence understands what we have been through, what we are currently going through. Kai has not been an easy case. We are now on our second year of his journey. This past week marked 2 years of IVIG infusions. I hope we can all continue to speak out and up, continue to raise money for research which so many have come close to better answers. My biggest hope is just maybe one day soon when Kai gets sick he can fight it like any other normal kiddo. That he won’t have a countdown for when his next blood draw is or his next 8 hour infusion. That each morning and night before bed he won’t be face with cups of pills and supplements. We thank you deeply for choosing Kai and for all you have done for the PANDAS/PANS community. Thank you!

As Sailor is still dealing with many neuropsych symptoms and has been sick much of the last several weeks, this response is written by mom, but will reflect shared thoughts and feedback. The Look. Foundation grant has not only given us hope for Sailor getting on the other side of this devastating condition, but also has helped restore our faith in humanity following tremendous loss and hardship. The ability to further test and evaluate (stool study, mold test, pending specialized lab tests) is allowing us to narrow down on what may be preventing Sailor from further improvement and healing and is the most meaningful opportunity we could ask for. Dr. Elena Monarch had suggested we do stool testing due to past issues so the grant has given us the opportunity to evaluate and eliminate this as a further complication to Sailor's condition. With Sailor's complex medication picture, we are thankful to eliminate a potential complication and further narrow down possible complications. We are also able to continue with Dr. Jones' (Pediatric Neurologist) amazing care due to financial support the grant provided to help cover the cost of her annual fee. The grant will allow us to not only continue to stay on medications and supplements that we know are beneficial for Sailor, but we are also now trying new supplements and vitamins prescribed by Dr. Kruppstaadt (Integrative Pediatrician serving on Governor Abbott's Pans/Pandas board). If we receive further funding, it will be put to very good use with further immune system, inflammation, and antibody testing as well as medication and supplement modifications. We also still hope to seek chiropractic care for vasovagal adjustments (Sailor has had an initial evaluation and will hopefully be able to work through her fear of the non-invasive adjustments to ultimately feel better) and Sailor really needs to consult with a dietitian as well for her ongoing and significant post-infection appetite issues. We are incredibly appreciative of these Look. Foundation grants and look forward to sharing Sailor's story when she is recovered and on the other side! With the help of a new Integrative Pediatrician in communication with our amazing Pedi Neurologist, we are hopeful we are able to better pinpoint what is causing Sailor's nonstop infections, which are not allowing her autoimmune conditions to resolve/repair/improve. Sailor seems stalled out on making improvements, but we are very hopeful Sailor will make huge strides over time after determining what is preventing healing, and then addressing those issues. We should learn a lot more in the weeks and months ahead.

-Sailor

We are ever so grateful for the Look. Grant which has provided options for medical care we couldn't otherwise afford as we strive towards a path of healing for my son. It has been hard to find doctors that know how to help my son because he is a more complicated case and hasn't responded well to many treatments. After a year, he finally has a team of trained doctors in PANS/PANDAS that are trying new treatments. It has brought my son and I some peace of mind knowing he has doctors that understand and know how to treat PANS/PANDAS. I don't have to be up all hours of the night reading and researching and desperately trying to find a doctor that can help my son or get rejected by a doctor because they don't believe what is happening to my son and want to pass it off to psych. My son is still acutely ill both physically and mentally due to PANDAS, with insomnia, eating restrictions(5'8 at 111 pounds). and intrusive thoughts plaguing him. Having the Look. Foundation as a support has helped us realize we are not alone and have hope for healing. The Look. Grant provided my son Will with the opportunity to pursue specialized medical care and treatments that were not covered by insurance. This allowed access to essential services and make significant progress in his health journey. Will is still struggling, but often because he refuses recommended treatment from Dr Zhang and Peggy Chapman. We always have to have Fair life protein drinks to remain at non critical weight and he is willing to try supplements. The financial support from the grant alleviated a significant burden, allowing Will to focus on his recovery without worrying about the cost of treatment.

*Receive appropriate care: The grant enabled Will to see specialists and therapists promptly, leading to better treatment plans.

*Explore alternative therapies: The grant allowed me to try alternative therapies that were not covered by insurance, such as acupuncture or nutritional counseling, which complemented my traditional medical treatment.

*Reduce financial stress: The financial support from the grant alleviated the burden of medical expenses, allowing me to focus on my recovery without worrying about the cost of treatment.

*Improve my overall well-being: The combination of specialized care, alternative therapies, and reduced financial stress contributed to my improved physical and mental health.

Overall, the Look. Grant played a crucial role in my healing journey by providing me with the resources and support necessary to make significant progress.

My 16-year-old daughter was diagnosed with Pandas in 2014 at the age of 6 ½.  It’s been a never-ending struggle for our family all of these years.  Constant ups and downs with basically no one and nowhere to turn.  We lost friends, and family just didn’t understand.  That’s a lonely place to be.  Specialists were a long wait – typically at least, 3 months.  And then they really didn’t know much, what else to do for her or they just gave up.  Thus, starting my research again to see what we could do as the next step.  A constant struggle to research and find someone to help her.  Constant letdowns.  Also, major out of pocket costs as a lot of PANDAS specialists do not accept insurance.  So, this was an added stress to our family on top of the isolation and lack of options of where to turn for help.  Noone can really understand the devastation this does to a child and their family unless they’ve lived through it. One of her dreams has been to visit Japan with a summer abroad program.  Honestly, I had no idea how we could make that happen with flares coming out of nowhere and some constant symptoms, that were, at times, life threatening. One of her minor symptoms was lack of focus, partially because of all chronic fatigue she experiences, and brain inflammation.  So, I was amazed at her drive to find a summer abroad program for this past summer.  She found what she needed and started working on her application, a little bit every day.  Honestly, I almost told her she couldn’t go – I was concerned what could happen if she flared and had no one to support her.  But I realized I didn’t want to let her illness stop her from living her dreams.  She was ecstatic (I hadn’t seen this amount of happiness in years) when she got accepted into the Summer Abroad in Japan for a whole month, by herself.  She would meet other students while there but traveled there without knowing anyone… and that is a long flight for a teen by herself.  Her pandas and all she’s been through has created one of the bravest people I’ve met in my life.  And guess what??  She did amazing!  We missed her so much, but knowing she was safe, happy and found a kind group of friends was just what she needed and deserved after struggling for over 10 years with PANDAS.  I could have never foreseen she would be able to do the thing she’s wanted to do for years.  She said it was the best month of her life.  And due to the help she’s been getting since receiving a grant from the Look. Foundation, she’s been doing better since returning from Japan. Thank you to the Look. Foundation for helping her to be able to achieve one of her dreams.  She received a Grant the beginning of this year that allowed her to be able to continue therapy, do some specialized bloodwork and start EMDR – a type of therapy that helps heal trauma, which she has due to her chronic illness, as well as social (bullying) trauma, which was a byproduct of PANDAS. We appreciate the Look. Foundation!  The Look. Grant has helped my daughter move forward and start to find some healing.

-Alexis

Because of this grant, we were able to see an out-of-pocket doctor specializing in Lyme disease. She identified several underlying factors in our son's PANS/PANDAS. We were able to afford the extensive testing and the office visits. Because of that, we were able to get him on the right antibiotics to treat the Lyme confections. Keegan has been able to make significant strides towards healing. Because of the correct treatment for lyme and confections that we were only able to afford through this grant, he has been able to make significant progress when IVIG was added. Because of the right tests that we were able to get through the right doctors, we are no longer throwing treatments seemingly "in the dark" at something we don't know about. In addition, the specificity of the lyme testing gave us more information on how long our son might have been dealing with this. Which has helped us parcel out some of his other special needs. The combination of the grant with the support group gave us a solid foundation to truly start healing. Though it's still a roller coaster healing journey, we do have things that work now. It's just a matter of putting in the time and continued effort. Through this grant, we were gifted the recipe for success for remission for our son. We have so much hope. Now on the difficult days, we can look back on the support we are given through the Look. Foundation and know that there is hope for remission. That at any point in time things can start turning for the better again. And they do. Every time.

-Keegan

The most impactful opportunity the Look. Grant afforded me was the ability to provide my son with the specialized care and therapies he needs to manage PANDAS. It also helped me to explore alternative healing options that insurance would not cover, which have been crucial in his recovery. As a single mother, this support was life-changing—it lifted a heavy financial and emotional weight from my shoulders and allowed me to focus on my son’s healing and growth. For the first time, I felt a sense of hope and relief.This grant reminded me that even when navigating challenges alone, there are people and programs that care. PANDAS has been the most difficult journey our family has faced. My son, my daughter, and I have all been deeply affected by the challenges it brings. Receiving the Look. Grant has been a tremendous support, not only financially, but also emotionally. It reminded us that we are seen and supported, even during moments when hope felt distant. This help has given us strength, relief, and renewed confidence as a family, showing us that we are not alone in navigating such a difficult journey.

-Samuel

The Look. Grant afforded us the freedom to make a sound decision when we were told by our Pediatric Neurologist Elizabeth Latimer MD that Sienna needed invasive therapy to treat her PANS. Throughout the course of 2022, Sienna developed worsening anxiety, tics, compulsions and neurologic symptoms which Dr. Latimer started her on IVIG and Rituximab. Without the financial support of the Look. Foundation, we were not able to pursue treatment. Sienna does see some benefits post therapy. This has a huge positive impact on our healing journey. Sienna is able to socialize much better with adults and her friends. She is looking forward to school this fall which is a first time experience. She gets along better with her siblings, and this has a positive impact on the entire family. She was able to go to the dentist, which she was not able to in the past. The entire family is moving in the right direction. Sienna was doing OK last year until she began to have neurologic symptoms (dilated pupils, choreiform movements, tongue fasciculations), behavioral disturbances, and decline in school. She was a straight A student last year whereas she is struggling in school this year. She was diagnosed with AE/PANS by Dr. Latimer and was treated throughout 2022. The Look. Grant allowed us to get some treatment by prioritize among our other children. Sienna was treated aggressively by Dr, Latimer both with IVIG and Rituxan and steroids. We spent a total out of pocket costs of $43,620.00 for Sienna's treatment in 2022. Thus far we were only reimbursed approximately 30% of Siennas treatment cost. The Grant immensely helps relive stress and keep our family together. We live off one income and one retirement savings. This grant affected our healing journey by giving us peace of mind knowing Sienna can receive her treatment. We had to delay treatment a few scheduled treatments due to money and the poor velocity of GEHA insurance reimbursements. The Look. Grant helps our entire family stay together. It helps receive stress.

The grant has given me so much opportunity from the ability to afford treatment, having access to experts who understand what I'm feeling and how to treat my symptoms, and the comfort of knowing that there's a community full of supporters and experts that I can rely on when I need a reminder of the light at the end of the tunnel. Before my PANS diagnosis, I felt like I was crazy. Every doctor would tell me I just had anxiety and IBS. It was exhausting begging doctors to run labs. I knew there was an issue with my immune system when I was getting sick monthly for about two years, yet my doctors viewed this as normal for someone who lived on a college campus during a pandemic…Finally with the help of the Look. Foundation, I was directed towards Greenhouse Natural Medicine and was understood, listened to, and properly treated. I have since been diagnosed with PANS and Lyme. I've been getting treated for Lyme for about 9 months now, and I feel like a new person. My anxiety has reduced significantly. I recently caught a cold for the first time in about a year, and did not experience a PANS flare. I am mind blown by the change in my immune and nervous system. I truly never thought I would get to this point, I felt like I would always be stuck in an unhealthy and debilitating cycle of getting sick, being in a flare, menstruating, being in a flare, then getting sick again. Before I began my healing journey, I always said "I just want to be a normal 20 year old and be able to do normal 20 year old things." Now at 25, I am finally feeling like I'm living the life I've been dreaming of. I'm mentally and physically healthy enough now that I was able to move out of my parents' house and get an apartment in the city, work full-time, make new friends and maintain relationships, and just live my life!! I'm still on my healing journey, so there are still some tough days, but the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter every day and I cannot be more grateful for the Look. Foundation for providing this grant along with the knowledge and community I've received and been a part of.

-Olivia

We are extremely gracious for the Look. Grant afforded to us in support of Nolan's treatment. It allowed us to proceed with his regular IVIG treatments (and Rituximab) as prescribed by his neurologist Dr. Latimer. Nolan has not had a seizure in the past year and we hope this is due to his immunotherapy/chemotherapy. The Look. Foundation support allowed us to continue treatment, with minimal delays, whereas we would have to halt the therapy absent the grant. Nolan was able to play basketball and soccer this summer which helped him socially due to his treatment. Nolan was also able to attend most reading and math tutoring sessions this summer. This was extremely impactful on Nolan's social and emotional well being. Nolan's treatment had a positive effect on all relationships within the family especially with his younger brother and older sister. We were able to spend quality time together as a family. The most impactful opportunity the grant afforded us is an immense amount a stress relief on the entire family as Nolan contracted both RSV and Influenza A in October 2022 and his clinical condition deteriorated. Nolan continued to receive both Rituxan and IVIG every 6 weeks. On the entire year 2022 for Nolan alone, we pain out-of-pocket expenses up front a total of $128,860.00, which GEHA has only reimbursed us approximately 30% thus far. We continue to struggle mightily with insurance, specialty pharmacy, and appeals. We live off one income any retirement savings. The Grant helps immensely. This grant affected our healing journey by giving us peace of mind knowing Nolan can receive his treatment. We had to delay treatment a few scheduled treatments due to money and the poor velocity of GEHA insurance reimbursements. The Grant helps our entire family stay together.

This grant has allowed us to pursue treatments that insurance does not cover, but are significantly more beneficial than what has been recommended to us by the traditional medical practices. We are pursuing chiropractic, NAET & Homeopathic treatments that thus far have been way more beneficial in calming my son's nervous system as PANDAS has caused him to be in a constant state of fight or flight and has wreaked havoc on his ability to learn to read, attention span and motor skills. We now have hope that Solomon will one day be completely healed. I truly believe that God lead us to the Look Foundation as many of the suggestions during one phone call have been beneficial far beyond what the doctors that I initially took him to suggested. They wanted to send my six year old to a mental health institution and put him on numerous meds to regulate him behavior and emotions rather than looking deeper and finding the true cause of my son's sudden symptoms. This grant has opened up doors for us to be able to afford to treat the root cause, and for that I will be eternally grateful.

We can't tell you what it means for our family to have our happy boy back…While he isn't fully healed, we are gaining traction, and his "glimmers" are becoming brighter day by day. This grant has allowed us to pursue testing and therapies we would have otherwise been unable to access since the funds were specifically dedicated for him. It has relieved much of our stress, of constantly trying to choose between those costs and other family needs, and reduced the burden of the financial battles/discussions that were extremely difficult. As a result, we feel genuine hope as a family, and we could not be more grateful.

-Ryan

So far the Look. Grant has afforded us some financial relief in affording the expenses of homeopathic care and a substantial supplement routine which are all my daughter can tolerate at this moment. She is finally making tiny baby steps forward, has added/trialed one new prescription and will hopefully continue moving forward. This grant will let us keep supporting her and helping her take those steps and hopefully not have to worry as much when she's ready to take bigger steps. The Look. Grant is relieving at least at tiny bit of the enormous stress these diagnoses have created. The costs and stress seem never ending but this help allows me (mom) to worry about one less thing and not only feel a bit freer to pursue help for my daughter but also put my energy toward her instead of every penny spent. Even just relieving a bit of my stress improves her chances of healing as my energy, stress and mood affect her greatly. The Look. Grant has allowed us to continue treatment with Sophie's homeopath (her primary treatment right now as it's all she's tolerating) as well as her doctor who is supporting her with ongoing prescriptions for H1 & H2 medications as well as LDN.

-Sophie

The Look. Grant has afforded us the opportunity to continue treatment with the Brain Restoration Clinic which specializes in PANS/PANDAS. Because our insurance covers virtually none of Samuel’s treatments, the costs of supplements, counseling, prescriptions, and the check in with Samuel’s team was quickly consuming us financially. The Look. Grant came at just the right time to allow us to maintain the connection with his doctors and the schedule they recommend. Samuel has made some significant improvements so far. His team still is not satisfied with the progress (and neither are we), but they are holding out hope for his current protocol and delaying iViG with the hopes it can be avoided. Samuel’s intrusive thoughts are still coming, but he is (usually) better able to cope. A year ago, Samuel had regressed in running, reading, and playing the piano. Today, his running times are back on track with where his progress had been a year before, he received excellent marks on his year end test, and he recently composed and played his first song on piano. He still has moments that are terrifying, but they are not as frequent or debilitating for nearly as long. We cannot thank you enough for how you have helped us in helping our son.

Jared has made continuous strides. We still struggle with impulsivity and eating/digestive issues, and of course, some of the aches and pains, headaches, etc. But overall, what a change from just a few years ago with behaviors totally out of control, beating his head against the wall, kicking, screaming and crying, and so on. Many people, most of whom have little or no understanding of what we have gone through, comment all the time about what a fine young man Jared is becoming, and what a change from the boy of a few year ago who always wore a black hoodie pulled over his face, and lashed out at people who touched him. In addition he has played soccer on the school team for the past two years. The coach has been super understanding of his medical condition and plays him for short periods in the games so he has plenty of rest. Two years ago he won 'best defensive player' and last year "Coach's Award." What an incentive for him. This year he has become very serious about improving his skills and being an even better player. He has become aware of his own need for a break, to take a Naproxen, or whatever to pay attention to his body's needs. The exercise, stretches, and practice for soccer has helped build his strength and stamina. We pay for all of his needs. Insurances do not recognize PANDAS as a disease or condition, and therefore will not pay for the doctor visits ($275 each) nor will they contribute to any supplements that are outside the traditional medications list. Jared's supplements run on average $400-600 a month. The grant money certainly helps with a few of these costs. Beyond the grant money, I sincerely wish to thank you for all of the support you have given in so many other ways. This can be a lonely road, but the burden is lightened when it is shared. Thank you for walking along side of us

-Jared

I am grateful for the Look grant which allows my daughter to continue care by a naturopath provider who understands the complex symptoms of PANS triggered by mold, bartonella and Lyme. My insurance provider does not cover naturopath care or compounded medications to decrease inflammation, which are both very costly. My daughter has shown great improvement on herbal treatment (low and slow) for tick borne illness and anti-histamine compounded medications during the last few months, with less herx and side effects than experienced for the first two years of her healing journey. She is able to participate in physical activities she could not tolerate during prior years and have realistic goals to return to full time in person school soon. We are very grateful for the support of the LOOK Foundation via the grant and parental support group. The foundation's growing advocacy and success in increasing awareness for PANS families has been wonderful to witness over the past years.

-Ainsley

We are very fortunate to have excellent care from a dedicated function medicine practice with experience in treating PANS. Our children have healed considerably in their care. This treatment has come with expenses for testing and supplements. For a while, it felt like we could manage these costs. However, the number of supplements that the children required continued to increase and soon we found ourselves with hundreds of dollars a month in bills for supplements. The costs of testing were less frequent but were expensive and really depleted our HSA account. The Look. grant came at such a crucial time. We are already under so much stress providing care and care coordination. The Look. Foundation's support relieved the financial stress of healing from this condition and allowed us to focus on our family's needs. Having to choose between which supplements to give and tests to run to help our children heal would be truly devastating. The Look. grant allowed us to fully follow our medical team's treatment plan. As a result of having access to this grant money, we were able to go after underlying causes and provide support to help with flares. Today, Hazel is doing amazing. We're not out of the woods, and after a pretty rugged winter, or what we call, 'flare season', we feel like we have our girl back. We are going after her Babesia infection and are seeing results. The idea that, for lack of funds, we might not have been able to give her this healing is something I would rather not consider. Thank you for making sure we were not put in that position.

-Hazel

We are currently paying out of pocket for Jack’s ERP therapy. His therapist is wonderful and she and Jack have an established a great connection. He trusts her and opens up to her. Unfortunately, our plan does not offer out of network benefits (we’re working on changing that), and at the time of his diagnosis, she was the only psychologist in the area that had availability and experience with PANDAS/PANS. At this point, it would be detrimental to his progress to change therapists. This grant has given us the opportunity to continue to work with his therapist, without worrying about the accruing debt. It has affected our healing journey because it had relieved some of the financial stress we are experiencing as a family. Due to Jack’s illness, I have not been able to work for almost one year. This grant has given my husband and I the ability to focus on Jack’s healing, instead of the credit card bills. It relieves some of the stress on our finances so that we can do things as a family, and actually have some fun. We could all use some of that! The most impactful opportunity the Look. Grant has afforded us the ability to seek ERP treatments for Jack that would otherwise be unattainable. Jack is recovering but still has a ways to go. We are thankful for the foundation and added financial burden they have taken off our shoulders. We continue to hope that Jack will once again be the carefree and utterly happy kid he was before PANS derailed his childhood. This affected Jack’s healing journey by giving him the tools, through the help of his amazing therapist, to navigate OCD and its sneaky ways and overcome the complex challenges it presents. He continues IVIG treatments and gets a bit better each time. He will be attending the McLean OCDI clinic in a couple of months where he will learn more ways to challenge and defeat the OCD beast.

We are incredibly thankful for this grant. Just maintaining the supplements and vitamins necessary to keep Grace at baseline is incredibly costly, and without this grant, I would have had to have considered cutting some following the loss of my husband and our girls' dad. This grant has also afforded us the ability to continue receiving the most amazing Neurologist's care, Dr. Melissa Jones, whom you may be familiar with, whom we call one of our earthly angels. Lastly, we would never have been able to consider following through on Dr. Jones' strong recommendation for Neurofeedback. She had recommended it previously, but Grace's inflammatory markers were too high to benefit enough yet, and we also said we couldn't possibly afford it. As Grace's inflammatory markers came down the last time Grace's Neuro labs were drawn, Dr. Jones said it was the next step, if at all possible. Literally, after Dr. Jones and Dr. Zuniga recommended our girls for this grant, the timing of this grant came at just the right time. Grace is now receiving Neurofeedback and Photobiomodulation sessions multiple times each week.
While the physical healing for Grace is hopefully in process, this grant gave us a tremendous spiritual blessing. Following many years of hurdles trying to get our daughters' conditions medically acknowledged and treated (our oldest was the first pioneer through this awful disease), continued hiccups with various providers throughout, and the tragic loss of my husband and our girls' dad following years of extreme worry and stress, the news that our girls were receiving these grants truly helped restore our faith in humanity. I hope and pray that Grace and Sailor get on the other side of this awful disease as our oldest did and they can share their full stories without embarrassment or reluctance.

Thank you, Look.Foundation!!!

-Grace

We are still pursuing options for Henry to help move out of the screaming, rage, violent emotional responses that he has every day. I hope that we can find something to help to provide him with tools to better navigate his frustrations without the shrieking and aggression. We are constantly "tweaking" his supplement protocol and incorporating PEMF, Ozone and limiting screen time to almost once every two weeks. A victory has been that we have seen stretches of time where he is much more regulated and can articulate well. I would love for that to be more of.a constant for him. I have been able to recently start him back up with a chiropractor for regular spinal and cranial adjustments- we would not be able to do that without the help from this grant! In a lot of ways, Henry has seemed to be the least affected by mold/PANS, because he was an infant when everything revved up for him, making it more difficult to know what was PANS vs. what was his natural wiring. However, we have had glimpses of who he is when he is not in a state of crisis, and that gives us hope. Recently, we have seemed to revert back to the old symptoms. Two months into his last medication protocol, he began covering his ears, screaming again. He has become very explosive and he is very aggressive verbally and physically. To be entirely honest, I am weary and discouraged in the current moment and disappointed.

Edited: We are seeing a calmness begin to settle into Henry that we have not seen in a long time. The above was written in early summer. Now, as we approach fall, we are seeing more positive trends. We are going to continue with the current protocol and pursue some other therapies and treatments to hopefully aid in further healing.

We are seeing immense strides in Renna's ability to cope with her OCD and anxiety. Her therapist is helping her with this. Our daughter is talking more about her feelings, is expressing hope (wanting to play soccer this fall after a whole year off of sports) for the future, and is finding ways to cope with down time and other triggers for her anxiety. She is still in a hard place, with many hard days and moments, but we feel that the worst is behind us. We plan to be doing these supplements and therapy consistently now that we think we have tamed "the fire" with IVIG. This grant allowed us to continue Renna's CBT therapy and supplement regimen while also adding a new provider to the team. We know that we couldn't have been able to afford these things without this grant! Renna's OCD is almost 90% back to normal! She gets her clothes on with calm and rational thinking - this is a huge turnaround from the way she struggled this past winter. She transitioned from homeschooling to public school this fall and is doing amazing. She is doing soccer after taking a year off of activities. She is still struggling in different ways, but we are able to continue supplements to help her with these things. She is not all the way better, but we are in a much better place now. Therapy and supplements continue to be the most expensive part of the journey for us right now. We feel so thankful to be doing therapy weekly because of the grant!

This grant allowed me to breath when I was paying for my daughter's Rituximab infusion. I know that many people are less fortunate and have not been able to consider these infusions, that have been life saving. These infusions have been paid for with all of the college money that I had saved. Every little bit allows me to care for all of my children. The Rituximab infusions have given Maya her life back. At times she has not been able to walk or speak. This grant helped for an infusion in February, weeks after Maya was immobile and unable to speak due to a Covid infection that caused her PANS to flare. Each setback is scary and frustrating. Knowing that steroids and Rituximab are possible lifelines back to health has given us some peace of mind, but these treatments are entirely too expensive to do alone. Maya is now away at college!! Two years ago this would never have been possible. I am so grateful that we found a doctor who took a chance and this grant has eased the burden a little.

-Maya

The Look. Grant has given us the opportunity to complete a genetic blueprint for Cam. This is part of the journey that the grant has provided. This will give us so much information. Soon the rest of the grant will allow us to work with a Functional Medicine Doctor that will use information from genetics and other labs to determine exactly what Cam needs to continue on the path to healing. We are so very grateful to everyone at Look.! I will update again when we see the Doctor and start supplements and IV Therapy. The Look. Grant has been a tremendous help for Cam and our family. The grant has provided us with the opportunity to see Doctors and complete genetics testing. This is going to change Cam's life! More updates to come when we start therapies that Cam needs after he sees his Doctor. Thank you for everything!!

-Cam

The most impactful opportunity the Look Foundation grant afforded our family was the ability to move forward with Evan’s IVIG treatments while also maintaining the ongoing care he depends on.

IVIG was financially out of reach without support, and this grant allowed us to access that critical treatment at the right time. At the same time, it helped cover his medications and supplements, which are essential to stabilizing his symptoms, and his speech therapy at Peer Projects – Therapy from the Heart.

At Peer Projects, Evan is fully accepted as he is. Aside from his monthly IVIG visits with Dr. Zhang, Peer Projects is the one other place he's willing to leave home to visit. Their approach focuses on connection, regulation, and trust, allowing him to engage and communicate in ways that feel safe and authentic—something that has been especially important during his PANDAS flare. This support has made a meaningful difference in Evan’s healing journey.

IVIG has given us glimpses of relief and pieces of Evan returning, while his medications and supplements help support his system day-to-day. Just as importantly, continuing speech therapy in a setting where he feels safe has helped him stay connected and engaged, even during difficult periods.

Together, this care has provided both progress and stability, and has given our family a renewed sense of hope as we continue to support Evan’s healing.

This has allowed us to continue Christian’s therapy sessions this year as well as the supplements that his doctor suggested he use. So far, we have been able to use some of the funds for supplements and therapy appointments.

-Christian

The look grant has allowed us to continue with the supplements that are keeping our kiddo mostly stable, and has allowed us monthly visits with a ND that is helping him heal through classical homeopathy.
Unfortunately the supplements are helping stabilize him, we wish we didn't need them, but they do help. So it is huge to not have to stop giving him something that is helping him feel better daily and for us all to cope better. The homeopathy has been hugely helpful in healing our son, it is slow progress, still ups and downs. But when you look back each month it's obvious improvement from the prior month. It is amazing to see how much he has changed just since March when we had our first appointment with them. We've got a long ways to go, but our days and weeks are improving as we go. And he is so much more resilient to the world - his flares are less often, less severe and he comes out of them easier often without any intervention. His sleep is improved as well, not as restless and very rarely episodes of insomnia. So much improvement, thanks to your grant allowing us access to homeopathy and supplements!

-Taylor

We had a really tough spring season with Oliver. His OCD symptoms and emotional regulation challenges were at an all time high. At the time, his provider had wanted to give him some time to adjust to some household changes we were facing, but eventually we adjusted his protocol and started him with regular chiropractic appointments as well as ozone and PEMF treatments and we have seen a MUCH more regulated boy. Being able to move forward with these therapies and supplements has been life changing for all of us- we still have hard days, but the overall temperature in our home is so different from before. Without the grant, I would not be able to even entertain the possibility of cranial adjustments for Oliver, let alone all of these supplements or therapies. I didn't originally have much to report as far as progress in his healing since receiving the grant, but since the month of July, we have seen the biggest shifts in his responses and processing skills. I told me husband that, for the first time, we have been able to give our boys some "traditional/normal" experiences due to the shift we have seen in their abilities to regulate. Oliver turned 8 on July 27- and we are encouraged by the decrease in OCD symptoms and emotional outbursts that we have witnessed in the month of July and August. I don't think I can adequately express what a big deal this is after 4 years of constant hard. We did hit a two week regression in August that came with from 2 weeks of heavy rain in our area, so we are looking into ways to help manage histamine during those times in the future. We are feeling so hopeful- we have plenty of hard days, still, but we do feel like stability could be on the horizon within just a few years which is such an encouragement to our hearts.

We are feeling a bit of let up with having the partnership feel and the extra money for the very costly doctor visits and the doctor prescribed antibiotics and special probiotics that are coming our way at this very moment. It has been a financially heavy burden going along, and the brief let up is a breath of fresh air. In addition, the partnership of the Look Foundation in the Caretaker Village and special webinars has come along with the grant, and as I walk through the Lyme and neuro-immune encephalitis journey with the medical professionals and procedures, I know tha these things have brought other parents' young ones along and I feel a little more hopeful that the protocols offered will make a difference! I feel a little less like I am going to lose my mind knowing that others have gone through this. And I have more hope in the medicines. I can also tell my daughter, the Lyme/PANS young adult recipient of the grant, that I am receiving training and support from others who know about the condition she is submitting to treatments for.

-Ariella

Emma has had huge improvements from it already. She has been able to take a shower by herself, her separation anxiety has lessoned enough to be left home alone or go out with a friend, she even rode a bike again! Most importantly this Trudose has caused her seizures to stop. Now she can make some real improvements in therapy without always taking a step back with every seizure. The ability to continue getting Tru dose PRP.

-Emma

So far, we have used the grant the most for George. He has had chronic abdominal pain for over two years of which we have not been able to figure out the source. This gift has allowed us to have testing done on his gut, access more expensive medications as well as have imaging done to get him to the point where he is reporting no "tummy pain" for the first time in years! We are very thankful for that. He just finished 3 months of intraconazole and we are pursuing CBT for him as well to help manage his rage. I will say, that of my three boys who have been diagnosed with PANS, George has shown the most progress in terms of symptom reduction. George's immune system is the weakest of my three from the time that we lived in the moldy house. He has histamine issues, stomach issues, sinus issues, stalled growth, bladder issues and the list could go on. I can't articulate what a gift it is to be able to do more thorough testing and provide medications and supplements that seem to actually be helping. George has not had a day time accident in almost two months. His rage episodes are much fewer and farther between. I never hear him complain about his tummy pain anymore, he has grown more in the last few months than he has in the last two years and he has been able to come in contact with his allergy triggers without any lung reactions that land him in the hospital. We still have a long road ahead, but those progress points are incredible victories for our boy George!

The Look. Grant has allowed us to have genetic testing done that we would not have been able to do without the grant. We're so hopeful that this testing will give us more information on how we can help Abigail.

-Abigail

My son has been seeing both a Doctor who specializes in Lyme and PANS and a Psychologist, on a weekly basis. They are out of network and not covered by Insurance. We were not sure how long we could continue, but this grant will certainly help!! And the number of supplements he needs to help improve his health is another added monthly expense. It is so wonderful to have the monetary burden be one less thing to worry about as we help our son get better. We can focus more on new ways to heal him and maintain the relationship with his current doctors. Cameron was able to continue weekly sessions with his Psychologist who specialized in Lyme and Pans. We were also able to seek the help of an additional Doctor in California that is not covered by Insurance. It has been huge that Cameron can speak to a Psychologist who can remind him that he's not alone and that, although it may take time, his journey is progressing. We have also seen some progress with the use of new supplements that another doctor has prescribed. Although not out of the woods, we have seen Cameron's smile return and to us, this is the most precious success. Thank you SO much!

-Cameron

To help actually heal. When you don’t have to worry about the funding, you can stop living in constant fight or flight and focus on your kids. It made it possible.

-Milo

The most impactful opportunity this grant has offered my family is the access to care and treatment without the stress of financial cost. A lot of the providers, supplements and labs/test are really expensive. And the cost adds up quickly. A lot of the cost is out of pocket. Insurance makes you jump through hoops. The financial aspect can really impact the expediency of care. For the treatment of Pans and Pandas, swiftness is crucial. I stumbled across this grant one day while feeling the financial strain and looking for financial assistance in treating Pandas. This grant has been a blessing, and I am thankful to God for directing me to the Look Foundation. This grant has helped me to make appointments and buy supplements quickly! Without feeling like I need to hold off on a test because it's too expensive. This helps my daughter because the sooner she gets all the tests...the sooner she gets appropriate, effective care and the sooner her health is restored.

-Joanna

It gave us the opportunity to explore different medications and supplements to help us on our journey to healing. We were able to try naltrexone, doxycycline, Celebrex and other supplements. We were able to continue seeing our specialist in rheumatology at tufts in Boston MA. This specialty doctor isn’t in our network for insurance so we’ve been paying out of pocket every time we go. We have seen some small changes in Abigail. It comes in waves. Some days are still really hard and we have set backs but we see a glimmer of hope every once in a while when she acts like her old self. This grant has given us the opportunity to get her help that we were struggling to get due to the cost and the fact that we are living paycheck to paycheck and have no extra money to disperse on medical bills. We are so thankful for everyone at the Look Foundation who has made this possible for us.

I was able to continue treatment for my child. I was also able to get testing done on him that I was not able to afford previously. Knox went an entire winter without a flare! He actually got sick during the winter and bounced back in 3 days which is literally unheard of. He also hasn't needed a daily nap at school. another big win here is that Knox has not been throwing up the entire spring. He did only 1 week because of a mishap in his diet.

-Knox

We would not have been able to afford going to this chiropractor if not for The Look. Foundation. This allowed us to receive 24 sessions with a chiropractor who has specialized training to help re-balance the nervous system. Yaakov Adir loves getting adjustments with Dr. O'Brien. He always sleeps better after an adjustment and is able to regulate himself better. We feel that his ability to focus has somewhat improved. We are so grateful we had the opportunity to receive this treatment for our dear son.

-Yaakov

It was so affirming to be a part of the grant recipients meeting. LOOK representatives were so professional and kind. It was such a blessing to know that we are not alone in this journey and heartbreaking to know that so many family's stories mirror our own. Thank you all for being the lifeline that so many of us needed in one of life's most overwhelming of tasks... To care for and love a child with severe neuro-inflammation. We had started care with a practitioner knowledgeable in PANS, knowing that her costs would not be financially sustainable for our family. Yet after being engaged in this struggle for five years, we were out of options. Our daughter's needs were so profound and debilitating that we knew we could not remain trapped in this cycle without treatment. The grant has allowed us to continue pursuing healing and restoration, It has offered us hope and given us the courage to keep doing the next thing that will someday allow us to offer that same lifeline to others. No one should be marginalized and disbelieved as this population and their families have been. LOOK Foundation reached out a hand to us saying, "We see you. We understand. You are not alone."

The Look grant has, quite simply, allowed for Molly to receive additional treatment for PANS/PANDAS. It's I'm sure a drumbeat in the Look offices, but these treatments aren't cheap and the monies allowed us to seek and apply these treatments in Vermont. we're so grateful for all of this. Well, emphasis on the word "journey". The healing piece is so slow going and nearly impossible to gauge....that is something we will look at in retrospect. We're still healing and in those trenches - but again, the Look Foundation grant allows this journey forward progress.

We would not have been able to afford going to this chiropractor if not for The Look. Foundation. This allowed us to receive 24 sessions with a chiropractor who has specialized training to help re-balance the nervous system. Ari has been a calmer child since going to Dr. O'Brien. He also has more energy than he used to have -- Ari used to tire very quickly and now he is starting to have more stamina. We are so grateful we had the opportunity to receive this treatment for our sweet boy.

-Ariel

We have been able to help pay for provider and supplement that are very expensive for our family. Omari needs the supplements in his healing and the quality of his life. We have not had a specialist prior to Dr. Hubbach that could support the Bartonella and we are also doing mold testing.

-Omari

The most impactful opportunity the grant afforded to us was cognitive and neurological physical Therapy. Also Devyn saw a therapist who specializes in hypnotherapy. In the beginning of Devyn’s diagnosis, we tried physical therapy and other therapy however she body and mind was not ready. Now that she is a year and a half into her healing the treatments are extremely effective and Devyn is responding very well. I’m excited to continue her treatment with additional funds from the grant.

Bring able to see a LLMD for Bartonella and continuing my treatment for Bartonella, the cause of PANS for me.It just allowed me to continue to treat at all because I've had no other income so without grants this year I just wouldn't have been able to take many steps at all

-Josh

We are so grateful to Look Foundation for providing us with a financial grant to continue PANS treatment for our daughter. It allowed us o pursue additional necessary testing or our daughter, much needed supplements for tick-borne infections and adding low dose immunotherapy treatment on board in the near future, which we could not yet financially consider prior to receiving this grant. It took the weight of financial burden off our shoulders to continue providing our daughter with treatment that she needs so much. We were able to add a homeopath on board and are going to start low dose immunotherapy shortly in addition to her functional doctor. thank you.

-Emma

It gave me the opportunity to run the special bloodwork that is not covered by insurance, is all out of pocket. We may not have run those tests otherwise and still be wondering about the results of those. Every bit of information helps, even if it is just to rule something else out. It helped us know which path to perhaps not waste time on and which to explore further.

-Brandon

So far, we have been able to get some advanced tickborne testing, which we've been waiting on for 2 years due to finances. Though we haven't gotten to the treatment phase yet, my son tested positive for bartonella, so we finally have actionable information. My son also had a huge flare over the past 2 months and we were able to afford more frequent doctor appointments, more supplements and some supportive OT during this flare. We finally feel that we have some answers that will lead us in the right direction for treatment. We also had more financial freedom during this recent flare, so we could actually pursue treatment rather than just trying to ride it out on our own.

-Benjamin

The ability to finally see a "Pandas" specialist. All the office visits are out of pocket and I have waited so long to finally be able to see this Neurologist. HOPE. I have so much hope for the first time in so long. I see light now in front of me where before it was so dark. Even when I am feeling so sick and having flares, I know I am on my journey to recovery.

Seeking care and being able to purchase necessary treatment/supplements without having to worry financially each month. It takes an added worry off the table.

-Monroe

The Look. Grant afforded us the ability to pursue treatment with local PANS/PANDAS experts who were not covered by our commercial insurance plan. We have been able to pursue avenues that may not have been available through our standard heatlh insurance coverage. Although we haven't completed the journey, we've discovered factors that are likely contributing to our son's symptoms. These clinical perspectives and tests are things we likely would not have thought to pursue had we not been awarded this grant. We are thankful to the Look.Foundation for affording us this opportunity.

-Brendan

It has allowed us to purchase the numerous supplements that neurology has recommended she take and get a private occupational therapist who understands pans/pandas to work with her on sensory regulation. A very difficult skill when she is in a flare.

It has take financial stress of us as well as given us skills to help during a flare.

I could never have continued my care with Dr. Antoine. I have been working with him for about 10 months and the total treatment plans and testing cost over $10,000. We were looking at having to stop working with him after January, so this grant came truly just in time. I was able to continue for the next 6 months under his care. My current treatment plan cost $1906. This was a miracle in that Dr. Antoine is the only doctor who has been able to get IVIGs covered by my insurance company (Cigna). They fight it every time. This grant saved my care plan with him and as usual Cigna denied my IVIG for February. But after I could pay for the care plan, he was able to appeal with a peer-to-peer with the neurologist at Cigna and they got it covered! The IVIGs are the treatment that has had the biggest impact on improving my health!

Continued help with our monthly pediatric membership with our behavior health specialist. And help with supplements and medication and tests. Helped us to see we are not alone and took some of the financial pressure off.

-James

The grant has offered Jay treatment options, testing, and supplements and medication we would have otherwise had to pass on. We would have only been able to do a fraction of the treatment without this grant. An example is cranial sacral therapy. It was very healing for him, and we saw real improvement in his health sleep, and mood. We feel seen and less alone when it has been the opposite for many years. Thank you for being a light on this dark journey. I've also referenced the book many times. We will never forget the kindness and hope offered through the grant. It gave peace, hope, and a chance to dive into recommended treatments and supplements without the burden of trying to guess which one we could afford that would be beneficial. In the past, that has been our only option, and now we have found some supplements and treatments that have made a real difference. Not only has Jay experienced healing, but our whole family as he is better able to participate and just do some basics like eat and sleep better.

-Jayden

The Look grant afforded us the opportunity to explore homeopathy. There's a well-known wholistic doctor, Dr Bernui, in our town who doesn't accept insurance, and his fees are way out of my budget. With the first half of our grant, we were able to spend 4 hours with this doctor who took an extensive history and labs. I would never have been able to attempt this appointment without grant funds. This allowed me to turn over one more stone... looking for that one tool to help regulate my son who so desperately needs relief. We learned my son has Hashimoto's Disease. Despite his general thyroid lab work other doctors have done a couple of times, Dr Bernui discovered Wayne's thyroid antibodies are about 9 times what they should be which puts us back on a medical pathway where insurance will pay to address that part. Dr Bernui suggested several supplements, and we are in the process of trying each one- one at a time. This in itself brings relief because after a long plateau with no progress, this feels like action steps that would have otherwise been missed. Just another piece to our puzzle that one day will be solved. I'm sure of it.

This grant has been life-changing. Other physicians have done all they could for my son and we kept hitting dead ends. Peggy Chapman and her care have offered my son the help he needed. We never would have been able to afford this without this grant. In fact, we are concerned as to how to continue his services when this grant expires. He had a wonderful summer and even joined a social group camp, which never was possible before. We feel like he's only scratched the surface of what is capable of and we hope to be able to continue to support him with his journey. Peggy has helped us navigate medicine for our complex son. He does not react to medication like a lot of other children and her expertise has allowed him to find little successes in things others may not have tried. He still struggles and we haven't found a consistent treatment just yet, but we are expanding our horizons and bringing in other specialists soon to give a more well-rounded approach. We still have long way to go!

-Jamison

The most impactful opportunity the grant afforded us was to continue Devyn to work with the doctors at Pro performance. It is not covered under our insurance and feel as though it helps her a great deal. To be able to watch Devyn heal is healing for me. Every time we walk out of a session with her doctor from pro performance she has a little more pep in her step. This would not be possible if not for the additional grant money the look foundation provided us.

-Devyn

Oh man... we were able to change doctors and get in with a pediatrician who runs outside-the-box tests and gives a more comprehensive picture of what's going on in his body. This has been HUGE. Malakai is adopted and we have ZERO family history so we were able to run genetic testing and figure out that inflammation and glutamate are big issues for him. We were also able to figure out that Cerebral Folate Deficiency is playing a MAJOR role. Our new doctor has him moving in the right direction and on the right medications. We are so thankful to have this knowledge now.

The biggest thing the grant allowed us to do is try different things that we financially couldn't before. We are looking into red light therapy for example right now and have wanted to for awhile but with the cost of meds and supplements, it simply wasn't in the budget to allow us to try and see what else we can do to get Gabriel to where he needs to be. So far we are still in the trial process but with the new studies on red light therapy and certain supplements for histamine issues and inflammation, there is hope at the end of all this!

The most impactful opportunity the Look. grant has given Halle is our access to holistic care through Resilience Naturopathic alongside her medical treatment. This has allowed Halle to receive compassionate care that has truly supported her healing. The personalized support through Resilience Naturopathic has helped improve her overall well being and given our family hope and encouragement during this time. We are incredibly grateful for the care and this opportunity that the Look. Foundation made possible.

The Look. Grant afforded us the opportunity for Tristan to complete all of his therapies — IVIG, supplements, and medications. We didn’t have to pick and choose due to financial strain. It felt good to receive support, like we weren’t alone in this fight. Thank you so much for helping Tristan heal!

Danilo finally received an IVIG treatment to reset his immune system. Now that Danilo’s inflammation has been reduced, his doctors now recommend that he undergo neurofeedback based therapies to help restore his cognitive function/abilities. Danilo will be starting the nuerofeedback after his next IVIG infusion mid march 2025. We hope that this these intervention will address the dysregulated PANS/PANDAS brain state and help calm- regulate his nervous system. We hope that it will help (re)train his brain and behavior function, improve attention and cognitive functioning. Since his brain/body have been impacted by infections and toxins, it should help him self-regulate his brain waves so he can better focus, be calm, and process more quickly. Addressing the imbalances in brain wave activity can help Danilo achieve deeper healing, better functioning, and improve motor learning through nuerofeedback.

The Look. Grant has completely changed our lives and allowed Maddox to get the testing that he has desperately needed to help him heal. His PANS has depleted us financially, emotionally, and mentally, and this grant brought a lot of hope to what felt so hopeless. With the grant, Maddox has been able to access care that is vital for helping him heal. The grant allowed us to do testing that we otherwise would not have been able to afford, as well as access to treatment that is creating healing that we didn’t think was possible. I honestly don’t know what we would do without this grant!

The Look. Grant helped us afford the bloodwork needed to determine why Matt wasn't healing and had regressed. After much testing and meeting with multiple doctors we now realize his Bartonella had been reactivated and was diagnosed with long haulers COVID. Discovering the reason for this huge setback has started his healing journey once again. He started another strict regimen of antibiotics, etc. and is finally starting to slowly feel better. He felt well enough to attend his graduation this year which wasn't something we thought would happen. We cant thank you all enough.

Huge relief to have less of a financial burden on top of the stressors associated with care for a child suffering from PANS. Thalia made really big strides in 2025 as a result of consistent treatment and the care & support of the LOOK.Foundation. She would not be where she is today, thriving, if it hadn't been for the grant & the support. THANK YOU!!!!!! One year ago, she was in a dark place. As we were, the parents/family. Now we see the light! And we are so grateful. There's a future for Thalia. Symptoms are mostly at bay and totally manageable. She can lead a "normal" life, socialize, travel, etc. Consistency of out-of-pocket treatment to supplement IVIG infusions and keep infection & inflammation under control.

I think being able to begin the LDA treatment was a HUGE opportunity that I am very hopeful about for George. This past year, the ability to freely order supplements as well as agree to treatments and testing for George has been nothing short of incredible. I cannot articulate enough what all of this has meant to me as a mother. I only wish that the LDA treatment had been available earlier in the year, but being able to even begin it provides so much hope. After years of urinary accidents, rage and terrifying hospital runs, we are finding ourselves breathing a little more easily. In the last couple of months alone, George was able to stop sleeping in pull ups and the skin picking has greatly diminished. I'm seeing glimpses of my bright boy who used to be so full of joy return. We still have some of the road ahead of us, but this past year has been the most impactful for recovery and I cannot thank you enough for the aid and resources that you have provided. This grant has been such a provision from the Lord for our family. Thank you for walking this road with us.

This disease is so devastating on many levels, including the family purse. When Hudson got his first dose of Rituxan we paid the huge sum out of pocket and hoped that when the doctor said one round might be all it took, that that would be the case. Subsequent blood tests show that Rituxan has brought Hudson’s inflammation down immensely but one round wasn’t going to be enough. So this grant means we can pay for another dose and possibly make transformative change to his immune system. We are so grateful! The Rituxan delivery is only part of his journey but it’s a HUGE piece. Like a 3 legged stool we are focused on 3 goals for optimal healing. 1) fighting the underlying infection for which we have just gotten his results back and his offending bacteria is now negative- hooray! 2) caring for the neuropsychiatric symptoms and resulting trauma that this disease brings on by balancing the body and employing therapeutic modalities and 3) bringing down the inflammation and resetting the immune system so it doesn’t keep attacking itself. This grant goes a long way to helping us achieve a crucial part of this plan. Again, we are thankful to the Look. Foundation for real, meaningful help to save our son’s life.

Oliver has been the most heartbreaking diagnosis of the bunch. The other two boys were younger when the PANS hit, but the change in Oliver's disposition, social interaction and OCD tendencies was the most jarring to witness. This past year, we have been able to say "yes" to more opportunities of therapies, treatments and consistency in supplements. I feel like we are still trying to piece together all of the impact of his condition and how to best support his healing, but this past year has given us the most solid ground we've had in years. This year we have seen the leaps and bounds in Oliver's OCD tendencies- he currently is not picking his skin, pulling out his hair, eating non-food items constantly, obsessing over germs and even his hoarding is less than it was. He has better social engagement (although we still have a long way to go on this) and his awareness of other's feelings has improved. He is able to articulate when his brain feels crazy and will communicate it to me often before a big outbursts. His school regressions are less frequent. Overall, both my husband and I are encouraged that Oliver is not in a constant state of crisis. I'm hoping that by addressing histamine levels, we will see even more stability in him. I have noticed that his flares seem to correspond to pollen and mold levels, leading me to believe that histamine may be a big trigger for him. This year has been such a gift as we have made some discoveries and been able to maintain a level of consistency due to the financial funding we have received from you- there is no way that we would have been able to accomplish this much without your help. Thank you for coming alongside my family this past year- we are so grateful for LOOK foundation and your heart to link arms with caregivers and families who are navigating this nightmare.

I think being able to pursue cranial sacral adjustments and regular supplementation has allowed us to work on the puzzle of what is going on with Henry so that we can best try to support him. Being able to say "yes" to the new LDA therapy, in hopes of addressing his histamine levels is also a burden lifted as the research is encouraging for PANS and autistic children. Henry has such a long way to go- our poor neighbors have made comments on his shrill nature when the kids are outside playing (we live on four acres), but that does not negate the incredible progress that we have seen and the hope that we have looking ahead with the treatments and supplements that we currently have him set up with. Henry has been a tough case for us. Not necessarily in terms of complexity, but in terms of enduring. I have never known a child as shrill/squawky and prone to violence as Henry. Explosive and radioactive don't even come close to describing his emotional reactivity. But this year, I have seen Henry find his voice in a human pitch. I have watched him begin to use his words to express his frustration and even practice self control. I have witnessed him hear the word "no" and not respond with screaming. That may be pitiful to celebrate, but it has been hard for a long time with Henry and those things are big victories for him. My hope is that as we continue on with his supplements and with the new LDA treatment, that we will see further progress in consistent neutralization for him. We have seen big changes for him that I don't think we would have with out the aid and resources that we have received this past year and my hope is that we will be able to find ways to continue on in hopes of further healing for our boy.

We are so, so grateful for the grant that our daughter received this past year. I wanted to include a Story of Hope since I saw the other stories on the website! Renna was diagnosed with Lyme disease after getting Bell's palsy at 3 years old, and anxiety and OCD slowly ramped up over the next 5 years --  but we didn't think it was connected to Lyme. We thought it had been fully treated! It wasn't until she caught pneumonia that we learned that Renna had chronic Lyme still hiding in her body. What came from this was the hardest year of our lives as Renna was diagnosed with PANDAS brought on by Lyme -- she was aggressively raging, debilitated by higher-than-ever anxiety and OCD, and dealing with joint pain, fatigue, and emotional lability. She missed so much school, and our entire family was traumatized from the aggressive rages and screaming. Our other children would hide in another room, afraid, while my husband and I did our best with Renna until we had to "tap out" and switch places. Renna was not able to do sports, complete a simple math lesson, or be near anything that smelled strongly. She did not play with toys or even read because, in her words, "I'm worried about so many things that I can't focus on the words." We had to depend daily on an iPad because it was the only way she (and we) got a break from this consuming autoimmune disease. To sum it up, she wasn't living freely, like a normal child would, and it simply wasn't her fault. When I look back at this last year, I do not know how we would have gotten through without the generous LymeLight grants. Because of the financial help, we were able to purchase hundreds of dollars' worth of quality supplements each month and to see wonderful doctors who helped guide us through various medicine protocols, including 3 IVIG infusion treatments a month apart. Without the help of LymeLight, I would have had to leave the home to get a job to afford the treatment (all of the treatment and therapy has been out of pocket); instead, I was able to stay home and care for Renna when she couldn't even put pants on for the day. Because of consistent antibiotics, IVIG, supplements, therapy, and God's hand of healing, Renna is doing so much better! As a healthy 10 year old, she just finished a soccer season, meaning that she was able to put on cleats, shin guards, and socks and walk out the door for practice... and RUN at practice without wincing in pain. Any Lyme family understands how huge this is! We see her organizing her room, writing loving notes to others, greeting us with a smile in the morning, playing with toys, and getting herself ready for school. She still deals with gluten restrictions, swallows a myriad of large pills and drops each day, and has some bloodwork coming up that she's anxious about. But she is a warrior, and we are grateful every day to see the real Renna back with us. Our family is healing.

The Look. Grant has been truly life-changing for our family. The most impactful opportunity it provided was financial support for the specialized medical care Alex requires due to her extraordinarily complex health conditions. The grant helped cover the cost of essential supplements, prescription medications, including antibiotics and rescue seizure medication (Valtoco), as well as appointments with providers who have expertise in conditions that are often difficult to diagnose and treat. The funding has helped us access a Lyme-literate physician, a PANS-informed neurologist, and other specialists who understand the connection between infection, inflammation, and neurological symptoms. Alex's diagnoses include Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Lyme disease, Bartonella, brain encephalitis, seizures, and most recently, Sleep-Related Hypermotor Epilepsy (SHE), formerly known as nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy. Finding providers with expertise in these overlapping conditions has been critical to her care but comes with significant financial burden, much of which is not covered by insurance.

We are especially grateful for the upcoming grant installment, which will help offset the cost of establishing care with Dr. Pamela Cipriano, whose published research on misdiagnosed epilepsy and infection-related seizure disorders gives us hope for answers and effective treatment. We believe Alex's seizures are infection-triggered, consistent with her PANS diagnosis, and we will be traveling out of state to pursue this specialized care. The costs have been substantial, including more than $7,000 for specialty consultations and treatment and an additional $1,300 for repeat IGeneX testing. The LOOK grant has allowed us to pursue medical care that otherwise would have been financially out of reach. For Alex, this has meant access to providers who are willing to look beyond symptoms and investigate the underlying causes of her illness. It has given us hope during an incredibly difficult journey marked by uncertainty, seizures, neurological symptoms, and chronic infection.

The grant has reduced some of the financial stress that accompanies long-term complex medical care, allowing us to focus more fully on Alex's healing and recovery. As we continue exploring treatment options, including the possibility of a PICC line placement to support ongoing infusion therapies, the grant provides not only practical assistance but also reassurance that we are not navigating this journey alone. Most importantly, it has helped us continue seeking answers and pursuing the specialized care Alex needs to regain her health, improve her quality of life, and move toward a brighter future.