Reality television star Emily Simpson has given a major update on the health of her son. The 10-year-old will undergo brain treatment that aims to help him with the development and behavioral issues that he has been exhibiting over the last year.
Emily Simpson Details Son’s Diagnosis Journey
“The Real Housewives of Orange County” cast member Simpson has spoken about the health of her son Luke during the season 19 reunion of the show that first aired on November 6. Per E! News, the Bravo staple gave the update while discussing her family and the long journey that Luke has been on to get diagnosed.
“It’s very complicated,” Emily said. “He went from a happy fourth grader that no teacher had ever said there’s issues. He was gifted. And all of a sudden my child just completely changed. He regressed, he started talking like a baby, acting out. And I was so confused.”
What really helped Simpson and her family get some answers about what was suddenly affecting her son was numerous comments for other concerned parents. She explained, “When the first episode aired I had so many moms in my DMs saying, ‘Have you checked into PANDAS?'”
It turns out that Luke was suffering from a condition known as Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections, which explains all of the symptoms that he started displaying at the start of the year.
“In January, he had gotten a really bad case of strep throat” Simpson revealed. “In PANDAS, the bacteria remains and it infects the brain and the brain swells. So, all of these symptoms are associated with strep throat. And there is higher risk for kids that are on the spectrum and also he has ARFID. All roads kind of lead back to being on the spectrum.”
Luke Now Has A Treatment Plan In Place
In the same reunion episode, Simpson also told viewers that a treatment plan has not been put in place to help Luke recover and get back to his normal self. The brain procedure intends to reduce swelling, which should also reduce his symptoms.
“He is going to have laser treatment on his brain to reduce the swelling in his brain,” Simpson shared. “He asked if the laser would hurt and I said, ‘No, it won’t hurt.’ He has to go five days in a row for like three hours and it’s supposed to reduce the swelling.”
Simpson finished by expressing her gratitude to the mothers who saw what was happening on screen and messaged her. She said, “I would have never known to test my child for PANDAS if it wasn’t for these moms that watch and reached out to me and told me. So, it’s been an amazing community of sharing information and learning and that means a lot to me.”
