After a season of working to get answers on her son’s health concerns, Emily Simpson revealed a surprising new medical diagnosis for Luke that she discovered only because of help from The Real Housewives of Orange County viewers.
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“I would’ve never known to have my child tested for PANDAS [syndrome] if it wasn’t for these moms that watch, and reached out to me and told me,” Emily shared during Part 1 of the Season 19 reunion. “So, it’s been an amazing community of sharing information and learning, and that means a lot to me.”
Emily went on to describe PANDAS syndrome (which stands for pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections), and what causes it. “He went from a happy fourth grader, that no teacher had ever said, like, there’s issues. He was gifted. And all the sudden my child just completely changed,” she explained during the Nov. 6 episode. “He just regressed. He started talking like a baby. Acting out. And I was so confused.”
Emily added that after the RHOC Season 19 premiere aired, moms started sending her direct messages on social media and pointing her towards having Luke checked out for PANDAS, as that could explain his new conditions and symptoms.
“It’s very complicated. I’m not a medical doctor. But it’s associated with strep throat,” she said. “In January, he had gotten a very bad case of strep throat. In PANDAS, the bacteria remains and it affects the brain. And the brain swells. So, all of these symptoms are associated with strep throat.”
Emily shared that Luke will soon be treated for the condition. “He is going to have laser treatment on his brain. To reduce the swelling in his brain,” Emily told the group at the reunion, and added, “So, he has to go five days in a row for like three hours, and it’s supposed to reduce the swelling.”
What other medical conditions are Emily Simpson and her son Luke navigating?
Emily shared during the July 10 premiere that although Luke “has always been a picky eater,” in the past year, it got to the point where “he doesn’t eat at all.” This led to Luke’s diagnosis of ARFID, which stands for Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder. Throughout the season, she shared Luke’s other medical problems included obsessive-compulsive disorder, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and dyslexia. Luke also underwent autism spectrum disorder testing, and Emily discovered Luke had a “learning disability.”
“Like, are these things I should have noticed before? Were there all these red flags?” Emily asked in her confessional in the Oct. 2 episode. “Did I bring him [to the doctor] too late? He’s highly intelligent in certain areas, but he’s in the fourth grade and I didn’t know he couldn’t read? I mean, how sad is that?”
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During the reunion, she shared, “There’s higher risk in kids that are on the spectrum. All roads kind of lead back to being on the spectrum.”
Emily Simpson shares an update on her marriage with Shane amid Luke’s new diagnosis
Although Emily and her husband Shane clashed during RHOC Season 19 over how to parent Luke, Emily revealed during Part 1 of the reunion that they’re now in a better place.
“It’s good. I mean, we’re solid,” Emily said. She then shared a revelation she’s had about her marriage. “With everything going on with Luke, sometimes I just need emotional support. I don’t get that from Shane, but that’s okay…I get that from other places, and that’s okay, because I realize that when it’s so chaotic in our home, the fact that Shane is just solid and pragmatic and just unemotional about things is just really helpful.”
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Emily added that participating in Wife Swap: Real Housewives Edition also helped her marriage when she realized how much Shane does around the house.
“When I had to go live with someone else’s husband, that’s when I really realized how much my own husband does, because this guy did nothing. Like nothing,” Emily shared.
Don’t miss Emily’s explanation on The Real Housewives of Orange County After Show for why she almost “quit” RHOC during an “off-camera” moment with Tamra Judge.
