Emily Simpson’s 10-year-old son Luke has been diagnosed with PANDAS and will undergo brain surgery.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, PANDAS (pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections) refers to a group of symptoms, including tics and compulsive behaviors, that are thought to affect children who have streptococcal infections.
“Yeah, so he’s going to have laser treatment on his brain to reduce the swelling,” she explained on Part 1 of Thursday’s “Real Housewives of Orange County” reunion when host Andy Cohen asked how the disease could be treated.
“He asked if the laser hurt and I said, ‘No, it doesn’t,'” she heartbreakingly revealed. “So he has to come in for about three hours five days in a row. That should reduce the swelling.”
Also in the episode, Emily explained how she and her husband Shane first realized their son had a panda.
“Ever since he was a happy fourth grader, no teacher had ever told him he had a problem. He was gifted, and suddenly my child completely changed,” she shared. “He just regressed. He started talking like a baby. He acted out. And I was so confused.”
The reality star, who is also the mother of daughter Annabelle and Luke’s twin brother Keller, explained that when fans of the show saw Luke’s problematic behavior on TV, many directly messaged her on social media, advising her to get tested for symptoms.
“If it wasn’t for these moms watching over me, reaching out to me, and teaching me, I would never have known that my child was going to be tested for PANDAS. So it’s been a great community to share and learn, and that means a lot to me.”
Unfortunately, Emily, 49, revealed that along with all the support she has received, she has also received hate from viewers who have questioned her status as a parent.
“And of course there are some awful people who post things like, ‘Why didn’t she know her son couldn’t read?'” Well, it’s not like I didn’t know he couldn’t read. He’s a completely different child…I’m not a terrible mother, I suffer from completely different symptoms. ”
Emily pointed out that Luke had a really bad case of strep throat in January that may have triggered PANDAS.
“The bacteria lingers and affects the brain. And the brain swells. So all of these symptoms are associated with strep throat. And kids who are on this spectrum are at higher risk. And he has ARFID. So all avenues lead to some sort of strep infection.”
Emily revealed Luke’s ARFID diagnosis in July. According to the Cleveland Clinic, avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) is a condition that causes a person to lose interest in eating due to an anxious fear of choking or vomiting, or the need to avoid the undesirable colors, tastes, textures, and odors of various foods.
“He only eats a few types of food and is so overwhelmed by textures, colors, and smells. He only eats white rice,” she explained to People about Luke’s main symptoms.
“And he has to inspect every single grain of rice before he eats it. So it’s beyond picky. There are a lot of management issues. It’s very overwhelming.”
Emily said that before she found out about her son’s condition, he would often say he was “hungry”, which he was, but he still “refuses to eat”.
As for treatment, the former lawyer says his son is seeing a therapist and a nutritionist and wears nasal inserts coated with essential oils to mask strong food odors.
She admitted that dealing with Luke’s struggles made her question whether she should continue filming “RHOC,” knowing that some of her son’s health journey would be featured in season 19 of the show.
“Am I doing the right thing by being honest about what we’re going through? And in the end all I can hope is that it helps other parents,” she said.
If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, visit the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) website or call the hotline (800)-931-2237 for help.
