Parents spent months searching for answers after their toddler started biting his own arm — until one TV news headline led them to the real cause
At the infancy stage, children cannot communicate what they’re feeling, and parents have to rely on symptoms to understand what is wrong. A similar worry plagued ultra-marathon swimmer Neil Gilson and his wife, Lucie, according to a report from Devon Live. Their then-18-month-old son, Jack, first developed tonsillitis, which was accompanied by severe symptoms. A recent report from The Mirror on July 8, 2026, revealed how the boy’s condition worsened to the point where he was biting his arm and hurting himself. After several false diagnoses and testing for allergies, the dad finally saw an unusual headline on ITV’s This Morning, and it changed Jack’s recovery journey.
At just 18 months old, Jack kept getting what seemed like tonsillitis, experiencing around 11 episodes. He became extremely anxious and started behaving erratically. He would bite his arm, rub his ear, and was even unable to get dressed because his skin would burn. One day, the parents were watching a news clip on ITV’s This Morning and saw that the boy in the video had similar symptoms to their son. “The headline was something like ‘Mould turned my son evil.’ I obviously don’t like the word evil, but at the time, we could relate,” he explained. It was then that they learned about PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated with Streptococcal Infections).
The parents first connected with Dr. Tim Ubhi, from the Children’s E-hospital, who featured in the story. After hearing him speak about the condition, they reached out. They then shared the possibility with their doctor, and Jack was finally given a diagnosis. According to the American Brain Foundation, the condition is a type of neurological disorder triggered by a strep infection. It often appears in children and causes symptoms, including anxiety, depression, obsessions, and restrictive eating. Between 2017 and 2019, the estimated annual incidence of PANDAS was 1 in 11,756 children.
Neil mentioned that many physicians are unaware of this condition, which is why many children are misdiagnosed, often with mental health conditions. Even in Jack’s case, the parents received different diagnoses, ranging from autism to Tourette syndrome, and even had allergy tests done, all in vain. “It got to the stage where he couldn't leave the house because his anxiety was so bad,” the dad recalled. Fortunately, because the issue was identified at a young age, he was able to begin timely treatment with antibiotics. Now 10 years old, Jack is thriving and symptom-free. The parents are grateful for the news headline that made all the difference, and now, they’re doing what they can to spread awareness.
As an ambassador for PANS PANDAS UK, Neil has been swimming for charity to raise funds and spread awareness. He has taken on demanding challenges, including a 44.7-mile swim across Lake Geneva. In a post shared in November 2025, he revealed that he was keen to do his bit. He hopes no parent has to endure the uncertainty of watching their child suffer without answers. Just as ITV became a source of relief for his family, he believes sharing their story will help someone else one day.
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