April 2018

Dear PNetwork Subscribers

Thank you for a successful Common Threads Conference (March 9-10) at Columbia University NYC! Your donations helped allow us to invite 350+ doctors and nurses and 350+ families to learn about new trends in PANDAS-PANS & AE. Parent volunteers helped keep the event on track traversing the snowstorm to get everything ready for attendees. It was beautiful to see the support from everyone!

Saving EACH CHILD's LIFE is PARAMOUNT. PANDAS Network has always fought to lead the dialogue between parents and doctors. Each parent and doctor that we talk to is doing cutting edge work. It Takes Courage! It is a big journey opening a new paradigm and it occurs on many fronts. See our website for the presenters conference powerpoints.

Nightline-20/20 ABC reporter, Juju Chang, filmed & interviewed docs at the conference on both days. The show will air about PANDAS-PANS-AE in mid-May. We will keep you apprised as updated info comes to us.

Below see the link to the conference information, a great new Symptom Tracker App, and an Amazingly COOL DAD! "Boxing" fundraiser for research.

Sincerely & With Gratitude, Diana Pohlman, Exec. Dir. & The PANDAS Network Board

The goal of Common Threads was to bring our disease model to a deeper level of recognition . Thanks to Columbia Neurology Department Chair Dr. Richard Mayeux' willingness to promote the cutting edge research of PANDAS-PANS-AE. Day 1 was held in the newly opened Vagelos Center of Columbia Univ. The PANDAS Physicians Network generous gift made it possible for us to provide 350+ physicians and nurses

medical education credits for no charge. Day 2 focused on families & hosted a larger variety of speakers and diverse topics.

Powerpoints for each day are available on the pandasnetwork website.

The conference was dedicated to Dr. Arnold Gold (reknowned Child Neurologist, Columbia Univ & founder of the Arnold Gold Foundation ) together with his wife , Sandra Gold, both whom have been supportive of our community always. They were pivotal in the securing of this conference site. Mrs. Gold continues to actively advocate for our children. Please read about Dr. Gold's exemplary life in the Child Neurology Society magazine, Connections: The Gold Standard: Humility, Compassion & Grace.

We also deeply thank the family of the late Honorable James Brady, U.S. District Court Judge of Middle District of Louisiana who donated funds, posthumously, to PN that allowed us to host a dinner at Bustan Restaurant. The dinner was for exchanging ideas about PANDAS-PANS-AE between our presenters and new doctors. Judge Brady fought for people considered the "least of them" and worked to defend those who were least able to defend themselves. HIs grandson has PANDAS and the family is fighting hard for all of us.

We had many speakers including our tireless PANS Consortium. Topics included AE-PANDAS-PANS, infection triggered mental illness, Sydenham Chorea, education impacts,microbiome, psychiatric impacts. We barely scratched the surface of an exciting field. For a complete list of speakers go to the Common Threads website .

And last but not least, special thanks to PN board member, Angelique LeDoux, who worked tirelessly to attend to many details of this event. Her vision for a strong, broad message is felt and the ripple effects are just beginning.

(Conference presentation videos are being edited and will be availbe for attendees within one month & to the public a few weeks later.)