The “Real Housewives of Orange County” star Emily Simpson is still dealing with her son Luke’s health struggles.
Her 11-year-old son continues to deal with PANDAS and ARFID.
Simpson, 50, opened up about her son’s ongoing struggles during an exclusive interview with Us Weekly on Friday, Aug. 14, while promoting Season 20 of the Bravo reality series.
Simpson Open Up About His Condition
“I don’t know if Luke’s any better. We’re still dealing with a lot of the same issues, and we’ve tried a couple things,” Simpson said. “I don’t know if they’re working, and that’s hard for me as a mom because I want to fix everything.”
Simpson first shared Luke’s diagnosis of avoidant restrictive food intake disorder, or ARFID, during the Season 19 premiere in July 2025.
The National Eating Disorders Association describes it as, “Individuals with ARFID limit the volume and/or variety of foods they consume, but unlike the other eating disorders, food avoidance or restriction is not related to fears of fatness or distress about body shape, size or weight.”
After Simpson discussed her son’s experience publicly, viewers began reaching out with suggestions and personal experiences.
Luke was later diagnosed with PANDAS, a group of neuropsychiatric symptoms associated with infections caused by group A Streptococcus.
The reality star has since faced difficult decisions about how to proceed with Luke’s treatment.
“I go back and forth between continuing and trying to find different therapies for him, or just [thinking] Luke is Luke, and maybe he doesn’t need therapy or IVIG treatment,” Simpson told Us. “Maybe he just needs to be Luke, and that’s hard sometimes to figure out if I’m doing the right thing and making the right choices when it comes to him.”
Simpson said Luke has undergone different treatment to try to get well.
The treatments included IVIG therapy, which involves an infusion of antibodies. She explained that the treatment session took about six hours, with a nurse administering the infusion at home.
Luke was supposed to receive six sessions, but so far, he has completed only one.
“We tried IVIG therapy, which is an infusion of antibodies,” Simpson said. “You’re supposed to do six sessions of that. We only did one so far, and I’m at a point where I don’t know if I want to continue on with the rest of the infusions or not.”
Adding to her uncertainty, Luke experienced “severe reactions” after the treatment, including migraines and nausea.
“As a mom, it’s hard for me to say, ‘OK, now we need to do it again,’ and that’s what I’m struggling with,” she said.
He Previously Underwent a Brain Procedure
Simpson previously revealed that Luke underwent a laser brain procedure, though she remains unsure how much of a difference the treatment ultimately made.
She said she has also found support through other parents whose children have been diagnosed with PANDAS.
“I have a group of moms that are, like, my PANDAS group of moms,” Simpson said. “They have told me this is the only treatment that actually helped their kids with PANDAS.”
For Simpson, sharing Luke’s story publicly has provided an unexpected source of support.
She noted that all of the well wishes and additional information has been a tremendous source of help.
“My reason for continuing on and navigating this truly challenging time (in real time and on camera) was because I knew I’d get more answers, support and feedback than any therapist or doctor could provide,” she wrote on Instagram in July 2025.
“The Bravo fans are incredible and caring people, and I wasn’t wrong!” Simpson added.
