Stourbridge mum raises awareness of condition caused by Strep A

Holly Dewar's son Leo Clorley has been diagnosed with PANDAS - a condition which results in the sudden onset of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and tics after a Strep A infection.

The 33-year-old single mum, of Gerald Road in Wollaston, says her family has been forced to pay £2.5k for private doctors appointments to finally get her son the diagnosis and treatment he needed.

She now wants to raise awareness of PANDAS (short for Paediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder associated with group A Streptococcus) to help other parents whose children could be suffering - especially with the recent rise of Strep A infections across the country.

Leo Clorley, aged five (Image: Holly Dewar)

Holly said: "Leo first became unwell in the summer with high temperatures.

"He was put on antibiotics and seemed really unwell for weeks.

"Then he had chicken pox, so we thought maybe that was it.

"But around three months ago he turned into a different child. He'd always been the happiest, most content, easy-going, loveable child.

"He suddenly became anxious, obsessive, and developed OCD and tics.

"He had thoughts in his head of dying, of wanting to get run over by a car and of wanting to hurt other people.

"It was horrendous - it was like I was mourning a child that was still living - I was grieving for him."

Holly made a list of Leo's worrying symptoms (Image: Holly Dewar)

Holly, who works as a part-time admin assistant for Racketworld sports shop in Dudley, said she went to the doctors who suggested she take a triple P parenting course and she feels didn't take her concerns seriously.

It was suggested Leo could be autistic so she started going down that route, but after searching online for Leo's symptoms she discovered PANDAS.

She then found a private doctor, which her parents have paid for, and went to Harley Street in London with Leo where he had blood tests which showed his Strep A levels were extremely high.

Leo has been on antibiotics for five weeks and Holly said she finally feels like she has her child back.

Leo is set to return to London tomorrow (Wednesday) for a check-up.

Holly said: "I don't know what would have happened if we hadn't gone private - I feel like Leo would be seriously ill now.

"It's cost over £2.5k to get him better- I felt like I was going crazy.

"I've never felt so helpless - what helped me was seeing news reports of other parents stories so I decided I wanted to put Leo's story out there.

"With the rise of step A now I feel this needs to be talked about.

"I don't want other parents to feel like I did."

PANDAS symptoms typically start abruptly, almost as if a switch has been thrown.

Symptoms include tics, sleep disturbance, obsessive compulsive behaviour, deterioration in handwriting and eating disorders (with problems centred on difficulty in co-ordinating swallowing).