15th July 2024
A South Devon College teacher is taking to the saddle to raise much-needed funds and awareness for a medical disorder which affected his daughter Ava.
Simon Holden, a lecturer in Fitness at the College, is taking on an epic charity cycle ride, alongside his wife Claire, to raise awareness and funds for PANS PANDAS UK, a charity dedicated to helping children affected by Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS) and Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal infections (PANDAS).
Simon and Claire will be pedalling a gruelling 110 miles over two days, starting on Saturday 20 July, and completing the Devon Coast-to-Coast ride, cycling from Ilfracombe to Plymouth.
Simon and Claire during training
If that wasn’t enough, Simon then plans to complete a third day doubling the distance, as they have now doubled the target funds. This will involve cycling back to Ilfracombe, before heading back to their home town of Newton Abbot, completing a total of 270 miles over three days.
Their goal is to shine a light on often misunderstood and challenging medical disorders, and provide hope and support to families in need.
PANS (Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome) and PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections) are conditions that impact many children and their families, as Simon and his family know only too well.
Ava suffered various symptoms, including extreme anxiety/panic attacks, visual and audio hallucinations and painful muscle spasms.
Following a lengthy diagnosis and subsequent tests, she was treated with a long course of antibiotics and nearly all symptoms disappeared completely.
Simon said: “It’s great that we have our happy little girl back! Ava’s younger brother Henry has been hugely understanding and supportive throughout the tough time. Always there to tell his sister that things were going to be okay and that she was safe.”
If you would like to support Simon and Claire’s mammoth journey in support of PANS PANDAS, you can donate by following this link:
Good luck in your challenge Simon and Claire! We hope the conditions are kind and we look forward to hearing how it went!
