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More on KentOnline
By Jack Longstaff
Doctors tried to have a teenager admitted to a psychiatric unit after he suddenly began bursting out in tears and laughing uncontrollably — only for it to turn out his condition was caused by a sore throat.
Lee Wilson, 15, of Ashford, was also left battling four-hour long seizures and mum Lisa Bullen even asked him if he'd been taking drugs.
WARNING: SOME VIEWERS MAY FIND THIS FOOTAGE DISTRESSING - Lee Wilson, 15, suffers from the rare PANDAs. Video: SWNS
But it turned out the school boy's condition was actually caused by rare Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated (PANDAs) and a throat infection, which caused his immune system to attack his body's healthy cells.
Lisa now lives every day fearing Lee could break out in violent dystonic seizures at any time.
The condition has left him unable to go out alone or meet up with friends and means he is now almost completely isolated at home.
He is unlikely to return to school and will continue receiving care from support workers.
Lisa is speaking out to warn other parents to look out for early signs of symptoms in their own children.
She said: “When it happens it’s like he’s been imprisoned. I’m scared to take him out or let him go anywhere in case it happens in public.
“It comes out of nowhere. His eyes roll back and it’s really shocking to see.
“It’s incredibly disturbing. There’s nothing I can do to help him. He just sits there dribbling and drooling and making these awful noises.
“It’s like he’s been possessed by a ghost or something and to be honest it scares the life out of me.
“My son isn’t the person I remember him to be. It is heartbreaking for me.”
Former waitress Lisa said Lee suffered with moods swings, then depression and anxiety, from the age of 13.
It's a common trait in people who go on to develop his condition.
But unaware, his mum put it down to 'teenage tantrums' and said by the time they went on holiday to Centre Parcs in June, he was feeling much better.
Three days into the week-long break, Lee came down with a headache, fever, and a sore throat, and they cut the trip short.
After returning home Lisa said Lee started hallucinating and talking to himself, and was given antibiotics to treat the throat infection.
“Our whole life has been turned upside down and it is a living nightmare..." — Lisa Bullen
His condition got progressively worse and Lee was taken to A&E six times in June and July.
He was referred to a mental health support service for young people.
Lee was prescribed diazepam and was offered a place in a psychiatric unit - refused by Lisa who was adamant her son “was not crazy”.
After a 10-day hospital admission in August he was finally diagnosed him with PANDAs.
The next steps for Lee is to be seen by specialist neurologists at the Evelina Children's Hospital in London.
“Our whole life has been turned upside down and it is a living nightmare," said Lisa.
Strep throat, a bacterial infection, is common in many children but in rare cases it goes on to cause auto-immune disorder, PANDAs.
Symptoms include OCD, tics, ADHD-like behaviour and bed-wetting.
More on the disorder can be found here.
