Your kid gets a routine cold, and a week later they can’t sleep, can’t eat, can’t speak normally, can’t control their body, and the hospital tells you it’s “psychiatric.” That gap between what families see at home and what many clinicians are willing to consider is where PANS and PANDAS patients get stranded, and it’s why this conversation matters.

We’re joined by journalist and author Jessica Slice, whose major New York Magazine article brought infection-associated neuroimmune disorders to a massive audience. Jessica walks us through her daughter Rose’s sudden crash after illness, the lack of medical curiosity she encountered in emergency care, and the moment antibiotics and NSAIDs offered the first real signal that inflammation and immune dysfunction might be driving the chaos. We also talk candidly about what it feels like to leave the “safe” system and chase care out of pocket when your child is in crisis.

From there, we zoom out to the science and the stakes: what PANDAS and PANS actually are, why the psychiatry vs neurology split keeps slowing progress, and how medical skepticism becomes policy through guidelines. Jessica describes her call with the American Academy of Pediatrics, the questions families need answered, and how reports can influence insurance coverage denials for treatments like IVIG. We end with a grounded update on Rose, the realities of recovery, and what advocacy looks like when you’re still living it.

If you found this helpful, subscribe, share with a friend who needs it, and leave a review so more families and clinicians can find these stories and the science behind them.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities they represent.

Credits: Music by Kingsley Durant from his "Convertible" album

To learn more about PANDAS and PANS and The Alex Manfull Fund, visit our website: TheAlexManfullFund.org

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In this episode, we trace Dr. Swedo’s path from pediatrics to the National Institute of Mental Health and the early clinical observations that linked Sydenham chorea, rheumatic fever, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Along the way, she explains why OCD is often hidden for years unless clinicians ask the right questions, and why structured checklists can change everything for families searching for answers. We also confront the reality of scientific pushback: how skepticism shaped stronger research, why medicine can take decades to accept an infectious or autoimmune mechanism, and what the autoimmune encephalitis era has taught the wider field of immunopsychiatry.

Then we look forward. Dr. Swedo lays out the research roadmap she wants to see now: multi-center collaboration across major PANDAS and PANS clinics, prospective studies that capture kids within days of symptom onset, better testing for rheumatogenic and potentially “pandasogenic” strep strains, and smarter use of models to evaluate immunomodulating treatments like IVIG and plasmapheresis. We also talk about safety and the urgent need to take self-harm intrusions seriously, especially when inflammation, impulse control changes, and demoralization collide.

If you care about PANDAS, PANS, pediatric OCD, tics, neuroinflammation, autoimmune brain disease, or the future of mental health diagnosis, this conversation will give you history, clarity, and practical next questions. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs it, and leave a review so more families and clinicians can find the science, faster.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities they represent.

Credits: Music by Kingsley Durant from his "Convertible" album

To learn more about PANDAS and PANS and The Alex Manfull Fund, visit our website: TheAlexManfullFund.org

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Jaden O’Brien takes us inside the world of Olympic bobsled racing, beginning with the grind of multi-event track at Notre Dame to a three-week bobsled tryout in Lake Placid that turned into a World Cup spot and a ticket to the 2026 Winter Olympics with Team USA.

We talk through the unglamorous parts: learning an unnatural push technique, handling pressure when one race can decide your entire season, and recovering from a violent crash that left her bruised, cut, and questioning whether racing again was smart. Jaden also shares what the Olympics actually feel like, the village setup outside Cortina, the opening and closing ceremonies, trading pins with athletes from around the globe, and the heartbreak of how a small early missstep can drop a team down the standings before you have time to breathe.

Then the conversation shifts to the story that shaped her long before bobsled. Jaden describes living with PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal infections), including sudden intrusive thoughts, intense obsessions and compulsions, fear-driven rituals, and feeling mentally “blocked” from basic daily tasks. We unpack how families can miss the immune-triggered pattern, what helped her find a path back, and why mental health support, including sports psychology, can be a strength rather than a stigma.

Following my interview with Jadin, I had the honor of speaking with her mother, Leslie O'Brien, about witnessing Jadin's struggles with PANDAS and finding treatment for this horrific condition.

If you’re searching for real-world insight on PANDAS, PANS, infection-triggered OCD, and resilience after neuroimmune illness, this one will stay with you.

Subscribe for more conversations on PANDAS and PANS, share this with someone who needs hope, and leave a review so more families can find these stories. What part of Jaden’s journey hit you the hardest?

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities they represent.

Credits: Music by Kingsley Durant from his "Convertible" album

To learn more about PANDAS and PANS and The Alex Manfull Fund, visit our website: TheAlexManfullFund.org

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