Laura

AEA Community Support Group

Laura has been attending support group meetings since 2021 and has been a support group
leader since 2022. She was thrown into the world of complex neuropsychiatric and
neuroinflammatory disease in 2018 when her daughter became ill at age 12. Laura watched her
daughter suffer for far too long without a glimpse of improvement, constantly having symptoms
be dismissed or misunderstood. She believes it is in hearing others' stories and in meaningful,
compassionate sharing that she found hope and a way forward for her daughter. Eventually,
leaving the Boston hospital system, her daughter was treated by a private practice neurologist in
New York City. Laura’s daughter, a survivor of autoimmune encephalitis with antibodies to
GAD65 and VGKC, has made a full recovery and is off to college now. Laura hopes that by
sharing her experience supporting her daughter and navigating this disease, others will suffer
less and recover well.