Emily Simpson shares a profound update on her son Luke's arduous health journey, more than several months after detailing his struggles with developmental and behavioral issues as well as the eating disorder known as ARFID. During the season 19 reunion of "The Real Housewives of Orange County" on November 6th, the star emotionally recounted the complex journey that finally led to a recent medical diagnosis.
"It's very complicated," Emily shared. "He was a happy fourth grader, with no teachers ever mentioning any issues. He was gifted. And then, all of a sudden, my child completely changed. He regressed, he started talking like a baby, acting out. I was so confused."
Little did Emily know that by sharing her story with fans, viewers would lend a helping hand in her family's time of need. "When the first episode aired," she continued, "I had so many moms in my DMs saying, 'Have you checked into PANDAS?'"
PANDAS—or Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections—is a condition in which young kids develop sudden symptoms like obsessive-compulsive disorder and tics after strep throat. As the former lawyer recounted, "In January, he had a really bad case of strep throat. In PANDAS, the bacteria remains and infects the brain, causing it to swell. So, all of these symptoms are associated with strep throat. And there is a 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."
Now, Emily and her husband Shane have a treatment plan in place to help Luke recover. "He is going to have laser treatment on his brain to reduce the swelling in his brain," the 49-year-old 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 about three hours and it's supposed to reduce the swelling."
With hope in sight, Emily is beyond grateful for the "RHOC" fans who came to her aid. "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," she gushed. "So, it's been an amazing community of sharing information and learning, and that means a lot to me."
"The Real Housewives of Orange County" airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. on Bravo. Keep reading for more stars who've gotten candid about their health scares and healing journeys.
