Neil Gilson
Lake Geneva Swim for PANS PANDAS UK
Fundraising for PANS PANDAS UK
Story
Between 24-27th July 2023 Neil Gilson, who's son is diagnosed with PANDAS will be taking on a 70km swim of the length of Lake Geneva which will take approximately 24 hours of non stop swimming.
This amazing Dad will be taking on this mammoth challenge as part of PANS PANDAS UK's Choose your Challenge fundraiser which is taking place in July 2023.
I urge you to please support Neil as he embarks on yet another epic fundraising challenge for our charity, or you could even Choose your own Challenge and help us be there for more families with PANS and PANDAS - Vicky Burford, Chair of Trustees PANS PANDAS UK
Read on to find out more about Neil and why he has chosen to take on such an extreme challenge for PANS PANDAS UK.
Neil Gilson
My son Jack caught tonsillitis at 18 months old and his behaviour drastically changed over night. He went to bed a happy, healthy little boy and woke up someone we didn't recognise. Jack developed aggression, OCD, a tic, refused to eat and became scared to even leave the house.
The scariest part was that nobody could offer a diagnosis or help bring Jack back to us. We spent years visiting doctors and googling help, whilst Jack kept having recurring tonsillitis and his symptoms became progressively worse. We finally came across a family sharing their own story of PANDAS. We found the doctor who had helped their son and within weeks of treatment Jack's symptoms had dramatically improved.
Jack is now a happy and healthy 7 year old boy and thriving at school. We know how lucky we are that Jack is doing so well and is currently symptom free. It is because of this I want to share our story and complete this swim so hopefully it can help other families who are desperate to find a diagnosis for their children.
Please support my challenge as every single penny counts. Help PANS PANDAS UK to be there for more families.