Understand
Ten-year-old boy from Oxfordshire illuminates the London Eye to raise awareness for PANS and PANDAS
Overview
A 10-year-old boy from Oxfordshire named Albie has lit up the London Eye in green to mark World PANS/PANDAS Awareness Day. Albie began campaigning at age eight after a family member was diagnosed with the condition, which causes severe psychiatric symptoms and brain inflammation in children. His campaign has included writing hundreds of letters to public figures, visiting Parliament, and running a YouTube channel to increase recognition of the condition.
Key points
- Albie, aged 10, illuminated the London Eye green on 10 October for World PANS/PANDAS Awareness Day.
- He started campaigning two years ago after a family member was diagnosed with PANS, a condition causing brain inflammation and severe psychiatric symptoms in children.
- Albie has written more than 150 letters to public figures, health bodies, and children's hospitals, receiving replies from King Charles III and others.
- He has also visited Parliament twice, with his campaign shared in the House of Commons by MP Freddie van Mierlo.
- PANS and its subtype PANDAS are caused by a misdirected immune response leading to personality changes, anxiety, depression, and insomnia in children.