Parents’ fear of living with teen with bizarre exorcist syndrome that makes him threaten them with knives
Mum speaks of how rare condition sent her family's life into turmoil
A MUM has described how her teenage son can suddenly become "possessed by the devil" after a reaction to a common throat infection triggered a rare neurological condition known as Exorcist Syndrome.
Cameron Lindsay, now 14, was a bright and healthy young boy who had just been awarded a place at a grammar school when he was struck down by an infection which transformed his personality.
The mild-mannered youngster went from leading his local cricket team and singing in his school choir to grappling with knives and developing violent tics.
Mum Natasha, 40, and dad Jonathan, 42, from Ballyclare, Northern Ireland, were horrified as he threatened to hurt himself – and even hallucinated that Adolf Hitler was at his window.
In February 2014 at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, he was diagnosed with a condition called pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections (PANDAS).
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It's caused by the body trying to fight a strep infection but it also destroys cells in the brain of a similar make up.
Natasha, who has taken a career break to care for her son full time said: "There were just no signs and then it was like there was an earthquake in his brain.
"I find it very hard to find the words to convey what that felt like to watch.
"At first I was worried about taking him to the doctor because I thought they would lock him up for being psychotic.
"It may manifest itself like a mental illness but this is caused by his body fighting strep."
Natasha and her husband Jonathan, a manager with Lloyds bank, have been told he has the most severe form of the condition, shockingly known as Exorcist Syndrome.
Cameron's condition became apparent in September 2013 as he was studying for grammar school entrance exams.
He became very anxious and started to have some nervous tics but his parents thought he was just worried about school.
But he began to suffer from body contortions, very violent tics and severe anxiety so they rushed him to Antrim Area Hospital in Northern Ireland.
Natasha explained: "It was an incredible shock to the system to have a healthy normal, functioning 11-and-a-half-year old to then suddenly watch that child completely disappear before your eyes."
"It's like someone kidnapped him but he never left the house. It was very very, very frightening because it really felt like the devil had taken possession of my child."
He was transferred to the Royal Victoria Children's Hospital in Belfast and initially diagnosed with rapid onset Tourette's but when they noticed a raised strep level in the blood, they said he had PANDAS.
Cameron was a healthy child but had suffered from scarlet fever, which doctors believed may have triggered PANDAS.
Cameron has been in and out of hospital for the last three years.
But still his symptoms continue and any time he catches any sort of bug, the condition flares up and life grounds to a halt.
Natasha said: "When he asks me what has happened to him, I use the earthquake analogy - there are aftershocks and it takes a long time to rebuild a city after that.
"While that happens, the city runs on reduced power, alternative routes have to be taken and normal life is not possible."
When at home, he has to be restrained by his parents because he tries to grab knives from the kitchen drawer to harm himself or his family.
He has given Natasha black eyes, bruised ribs and broken her fingers.
She said: "He does things like throw himself down the stairs or puts his hands on the grill and when I try to stop him, he'll say things like 'I hope you die in a firey car crash and come back to the house in a coffin'. It's just heartbreaking."
Cameron also suffers from severe pain in his head, obsessive compulsive disorder and his short term memory is deteriorating in a similar way to dementia.
The condition has also caused an acquired brain injury.
Family life has completely changed for the Lindsays because of Cameron's illness.
His violent rages have become so bad that his little sister Annie, now 12, often has to leave the family home and stay with family friends for her own safety.
Natasha said "She's been impacted so much for this. He can just go from her when he's really bad and he's a 14-year-old lad, who is much bigger than her. He frightens her terribly."
Cameron is only able to attend school for six to nine hours a week and needs full time support.
What the NHS says about PANDAS
In an attempt to fight off a strep infection, the immune system produces antibodies (proteins).
The antibodies may interact with brain tissue, affecting the brain's functioning.
Following a throat infection, some children have developed the symptoms of Tourette's syndrome, as well as the symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder.
Some doctors believe this may be a separate condition in its own right and have called it 'paediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections', or PANDAS for short.
However, the concept of PANDAS is controversial because research findings have been inconsistent.
It may be that it's only responsible for a small number of Tourette's syndrome cases. Further research is needed to clarify the issue.
In March 2015, Cameron had plasma therapy treatment in Northern Ireland and his symptoms almost completely disappeared - but after just six weeks, his condition returned.
Now doctors have told the family that more plasma therapy treatment would not benefit Cameron as his brain has undergone too much harm but they are battling to prove them wrong.
But, through a fundraising campaign Natasha has raised £40,000 to get more tests and drug therapy in America.
She said: "I don't know what the future holds for Cameron but when he had the treatment in America, we got our son back for six weeks and I think more would help."
Cameron's family is also working to establish the PANDAS foundation in Northern Ireland to help raise more awareness of the condition and to support other parents.
Natasha said: "I want to do all I can to make the experiences of other families easier. This has been utter hell for us but there has to be a positive legacy.
"Even if he never gets better, I need to know I have helped raise awareness of this terrible condition."
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