November 2025 Newsletter
GRANT ROUND DEADLINE IS DECEMBER 4TH!
Our current Look. Healing Grant cycle is coming to a close on December 4, 2025. Notifications will be sent on February 4, 2026. For details and applications, visit: lookfoundation.org.
Together, we bring hope and healing.
Looking to donate? Visit lookfoundation.org/donate-1.
A Season of Gratitude
As I reflect on this past year and the incredible community that has come together around the Look. Foundation, I am reminded just how much there is to be thankful for.
October’s Look. Walk: Making Strides for PANS & PANDAS on Boston Common was a powerful reminder of what we can accomplish together. The energy, the stories shared, the families who showed up from near and far, it was all extraordinary. Each step taken that day represented courage, hope, and a commitment to change the future for children and young adults affected by PANS/PANDAS.
This month, as we give thanks, I want to extend my heartfelt appreciation to all who make our mission possible:
To our donors and supporters: your generosity fuels everything we do. Every walk, every grant, every story of healing begins with your belief that children and young adults with PANS/PANDAS deserve to be seen, understood, and treated with compassion and science-based care. You are truly changing lives.
To our medical practitioners and researchers who continue to look deeper, thank you for your tireless work, your compassion, and your belief in these children. Your dedication to uncovering root causes brings real hope and healing to families who need it most.
To our fellow nonprofits and advocacy partners: together, we’re building momentum, raising awareness, advancing research, and shaping a future where no child is missed or misdiagnosed. Collaboration is how change happens, and we’re so grateful to walk this path beside you.
And to our PANS/PANDAS warriors and families, you are the heart of everything we do. Your strength and resilience inspire me daily. Please know: we see you, we stand with you, and we will continue to fight alongside you.
As we close out this year, I am more hopeful than ever. Together, we are moving this conversation forward, breaking down barriers, and giving families a reason to Look. for root causes.
With gratitude and hope,
Cathy Witkos
President
November Is Men’s Health Awareness Month!
This Movember, let’s talk about men’s mental health — through a lens that’s often missed. Because sometimes, what looks like a mental health crisis…is actually a medical one. It’s not rare. It’s just rarely recognized. This Movember, let’s Look. for root causes. Let’s make sure no young man is missed, mislabeled, or left behind.
UP TO 30% OFF LOOK. MERCH
If you’ve been eyeing a cozy sweatshirt, one of our new hats, or those limited-run water bottles…this is your sign to grab them before December 1st. Every item you pick up helps support PANS/PANDAS families through healing grants and essential care.
RELIVE THE 2025 LOOK. WALK
What a day to remember! From Boston to beyond, the 2025 Look. Walk united families, friends, and supporters in one powerful movement for children and young adults battling PANS/PANDAS.
Check out the full video from this year’s Look. Walk!
Look. Testifies in Support of H.1249/S.805
Look. Foundation President Cathy Witkos, Executive Director Jennifer Vitelli, and Board Members Sheilah Gauch, Ali McLean, Melissa Glynn-Hyman, Michelle Pinto & Lisa Grisolia joined advocates, caregivers, and courageous young adults in testifying for H.1249/S.805—bills that would make PANS/PANDAS screening standard and ensure medical rule-outs come first. We were in awe of every person who bravely shared their story. Their strength is why we fight—and why early, accurate diagnosis matters so deeply. Thank you to the Massachusetts Coalition for PANS/PANDAS Legislation and to the committee for championing this work and supporting the PANS/PANDAS community.
THE CDC VALIDATES CHRONIC LYME!
A major new study confirms what so many families have lived for years: Lyme disease can have long-term, persistent impacts—especially when diagnosis is delayed or incomplete. For children and young adults facing PANS/PANDAS, this research matters.
We’re grateful to researchers continuing to push this work forward—and to every family who keeps advocating until answers are found.
Thank You, Emily Simpson.
Your courage, your voice, and your willingness to speak openly about your son’s PANDAS diagnosis is a powerful gift to so many families. By speaking out, you’re bringing PANS/PANDAS into the national conversation — and that kind of visibility is everything. It spreads awareness. We are incredibly grateful and proud to stand with you. Let’s Look. for root causes.
Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) IS The Driver Behind 100% of Lupus Cases Studied
A major Stanford Medicine study has just delivered one of the most important autoimmune discoveries in decades and it directly reinforces what we at the Look. Foundation advocates for: look for the root cause. Researchers have identified Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) as the driver behind 100% of lupus cases studied.
Hope is real. Answers are emerging. And the science is finally catching up.
OUR WEBSITE IS NOW AVAILABLE IN MULTIPLE LANGUAGES!
Our website is now available in multiple languages — because awareness and access to information about PANS/PANDAS should reach families everywhere. Lookfoundation.org is now available in Spanish, French, Italian, German, Dutch and English!
The Look. Foundation is dedicated to changing the course of mental health by ensuring that no child or young adult with PANS/PANDAS is missed.
