By DAVID CRUMM
Editor of ReadTheSpirit magazine
Our publishing house team had worked with writer and editor Ann Bell Worley on the production of George A. Mason’s new book, The Word Made Fresh, for months before we became aware of her activism on behalf of families living with PANS.
PANS is Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome and is distinct from a similar diagnosis of PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated with Streptococcal Infections). The Stanford Medicine website makes a helpful distinction for lay people. Because research is continuing, many online resources have not been able to keep up to date. Wikipedia, for example, continues to lump PANS together with PANDAS.
That’s why the Vision statement on Ann’s new website, called Gray Colored Glasses, is: “‘to make PANS a household name, leading to decreased suffering and isolation & increased community understanding and support.”
She adds, in another part of her new website: “There are kids in nearly every school and place of worship who are living with it. And yet, PANS often goes undetected, because it is a relatively new diagnosis and not well known, even among doctors. Sadly, delayed treatment can result in years of unnecessary suffering and potentially permanent consequences.”
There’s a larger mission behind the new website, as well, Ann writes: “There is power and purpose in sharing our experience—to raise awareness about PANS and generate compassion and understanding for medically-complex children and their families.”
So far, the most compelling resources on Ann’s website are her blog posts, collecting columns she has written over a number of years.
Plus, she provides a Contact page for folks who want to connect with her and help share her message with others.
As professional colleagues who have come to respect Ann’s work on media projects, we are pleased to recommend her website to others.
Care to learn more?
Ann played a major role in the development and editing of George A. Mason’s new book, The Word Made Fresh. If you care to see her professional expertise and understand more about her spiritual values, you can order a copy of George’s new book from Amazon now.
