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 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

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.

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

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 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.

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!

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 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.

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.

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 JBC 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.

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 JBC 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 JBC 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 JBC 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 JBC/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!

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

We are so thankful for the support of JBC. 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 JBC funding 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 JBC funds 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 FBC Foundation. We look forward to seeing even more improvements and will continue to share our journey. The support provided by JBC 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 JBC 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. JBC gave us support we needed on what can otherwise be a very lonely journey. My mom is also thankful to connect with the JBC village. Thank you, JBC, 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 JBC 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 JBC'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 JBC grant afforded my family was the ability to try different modalities, testing, and supplements that were not covered by insurance.

-Brendan

The JBC 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 JBC has created for our family is indescribable. We were truly at rock bottom when we found the JBC and have hope back that felt so lost. Testing and treatments I would not have been able to afford without the support of the JBC 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 JBC restored hope to our family.

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 JBC 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 JBC 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

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.

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 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 JBC enough for providing financial support to get our daughter better

-Makayla

The JBC 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 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

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.

We are extremely gracious for the JBC 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 JBC 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.

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!

We are ever so grateful for the JBC 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 JBC Foundation as a support has helped us realize we are not alone and have hope for healing. The JBC 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 JBC grant played a crucial role in my healing journey by providing me with the resources and support necessary to make significant progress.

The JBC 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 JBC, 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 JBC 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 Grant helps our entire family stay together. It helps receive stress.

JBC 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

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 JBC 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

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.

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 JBC 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 JBC 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 JBC 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 JBC 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

The JBC 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

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.

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.

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 JBC 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.

The JBC 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 JBC 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.

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 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.

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!

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!

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!

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 JBC 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

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.

The JBC 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

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 JBC 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

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 JBC 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 JBC! I will update again when we see the Doctor and start supplements and IV Therapy. The JBC 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

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 JBC Gran allowed us to continue working with our current OT and receiving treatment from our specialist for Wyatt.

-Wyatt