‘Pretty Little Liars’ cast reunites for INAD PSA on Rare Disease Day

Even casual Pretty Little Liars fans have likely heard of the A-Team, the shadowy group that terrorized the teens of Rosewood on the mega-hit teen drama. But now, “PLL” cast members Troian Bellisario, Ashley Benson, Lucy Hale, Shay Mitchell, Sasha Pieterse, Janel Parrish, Ian Harding, Tyler Blackburn and Keegan Allen are rooting for a different “A-Team” — one with entirely different motivations.

The TV stations have united for a PSA ahead of Rare Disease Day (February 28) to raise awareness of INAD research and support non-profit organization Aiden’s A Team, which fights for a cure.

“On TV, the A-Team was a mystery. It was a secret. It was a game. But in real life, the A-Team shows up when there’s no script and no time to waste,” the actors said, introducing Aiden Steiner, an 8-year-old boy from INAD.

INAD (infantile neuroaxonal dystrophy) is a terminal, ultra-rare neurodegenerative disease often described as a combination of ALS and Parkinson’s disease in young children. It slowly robs the child of his or her ability to walk, speak, swallow, and eventually breathe. Most children with INAD do not live beyond the age of 10. The disease is often misdiagnosed and there is currently no approved treatment.

Steiner, who rapidly lost skills and was first diagnosed with autism, was 7 years old when he was diagnosed with a juvenile version of INAD called aNAD. This means that the onset is late and the disease progresses slowly. These factors gave Steiner more time, but unfortunately aNAD had the same expected symptoms and results.

There is no cure yet, but scientists are researching gene therapy to replace the defective PLA2G6 gene that causes INAD, but there is no federal funding for that research. And, as mentioned in the PSA, a first-of-its-kind gene therapy is currently under FDA review, with an initial clinical trial of 10 children planned. However, the trial can only proceed once the remaining funds are secured.

That’s when the liars intervene.

“On ‘Pretty Little Liars,’ the A-Team was fictional. This is not that. This is real kids, this is a real family, it’s something we really love, and it’s a real race against time,” says I. Marlene King, executive producer and showrunner of Pretty Little Liars. “Our ‘PLL’ family cast knows that storytelling is about more than just having fun. Storytelling can mobilize people and raise awareness. Hopefully, this will help fund science that saves children’s lives.”

Steiner is the eldest son of Pretty Little Liars executive producer and WBD executive Lisa Cochran-Neelan, and King and his staff have known him since he was a baby.

“I’ve watched him grow, his smile, his spirit, the way he lights up a room,” King says of Steiner. “As a mother of two boys myself, I can’t imagine what the Steiner family is going through. When you love your children, you do everything you can to protect them.”

So when Steiner’s mother, Dana, a veteran communications executive, began creating another PSA to promote the cause, King invited the show’s stars to participate.

“Everyone immediately responded and offered to help. Bringing the entire ‘PLL’ team together was just a way for us to show up for Aiden and his family,” King said. “Our ‘PLL’ team is a family, and we are honored to support all the families fighting this devastating disease. We have always told stories of friendship, loyalty, and showing up for one another, and we felt this was an opportunity to live that message in real life. The ‘A Team’ is no longer a conspiracy. It’s a community rallying around our allies who need us. It’s a story worth telling.”