Story
I'm excited to announce that in July 2021 I will be attempting a 24 mile swim from Swansea to Ilfracombe. The swim will be in aid of PANS PANDAS UK. We are aiming for the 17th July depending on conditions and the swim will be piloted by Swansea Watersports. This challenge genuinely scares me - the tides are fierce in the Bristol Channel and the conditions can change so quickly. The charity is very close to my heart - my son Jack has PANDAS. 2 years ago we had not heard of the condition Jack had anxiety, involuntary movements, OCD, he was refusing to eat and was harming himself - he couldn't leave the house. Luckily a brave family who had a child who was suffering like Jack shared their story on This Morning and we saw it. The symptoms they were describing were identical to those that Jack had - after years of suffering for our family it was an amazing moment! We were able to get Jack the help he so badly needed. Jack is now doing amazingly, he is currently symptom free and is thriving at school. This would not had happened if we hadn't found out about the condition and got Jack the diagnosis and help he needed! We have since learnt that our daughter Lily also has PANDAS, luckily due to the knowledge we now have about the condition and their amazing doctors Lily didn't have to endure symptoms for as long as her brother and they are both doing so well. I have made it my mission to raise awareness of the condition and raise funds for the charity to help other children and their families who are desperately suffering and don't know what to do. Any amount of money you can donate would be hugely appreciated and please share with as many people as possible.
Thank You!