At the age of 12, I had my first fight with PANS/PANDAS. A "simple" strep throat infection caused brain encephalitis and OCD symptoms. For people who think OCD is just a "mental disorder," think again--it can be caused by a bacterial or viral infection. After 2 years of treatment, I was able to return to school and live a normal life. Then at age 17, I caught mycoplasma pneumoniae (walking pneumonia) and the OCD returned with a vengeance. This time, symptoms included suicidal ideation, intrusive thoughts, overwhelming anxiety and depression. I couldn't function in school and barely graduated. I'm now 20, and after 3 years of antibiotics and seven rounds of IVIG treatment, I'm not back to baseline, but I am able to go to college. It was a long fight to get insurance approval for IVIG treatment. A lot of families and kids go through this fight. Some never succeed, which is devastating financially. Join me in donating to SEPPA to support their purpose: to expand access to timely, accurate diagnosis and treatment and access to insurance-based medical care for children and adults affected by PANS and PANDAS and related neuroimmune disorders in the Southeast.