Day at the capitol, OCTOBER 9, 2026
Invite
Invite
Invite
Invite your Texas legislators to attend! It's easy! We created templates & outlined the steps:
PANS PANDAS Awareness Legislator Letter and Phone Templates 2025 - Google Drive
Shirts
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Invite
2026 Awareness Day T-Shirts are now available! Get yours today and join us at the Texas State Capitol.
Allow approx. 2 weeks for shipping.
PANS/PANDAS Awareness Day 2026 | Bonfire
Hotel
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Hotel
Book by 9/29/25 for $199 Group Rate, Breakfast included. Discounted parking. Standard market rates after 9/29/25.
Available Rooms - Hilton Garden Inn Austin University Capitol District
PANS Awareness TX
In town early? Connect the Day Before.
Oct. 8th 4:00 PM Coffee: Meet us at Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea, 316 West 12th Street to say hello!
Oct. 8th 6:30 PM Dinner: Join us for dinner at Picnik, 4801 Burnet Rd
Day at the capitol 2025 SPEAKERS
Barry Smeltzer, MPAS, PA-C
Physician Assistant specializing in biomedical and environmental interventions focusing on the Texas autism community; serves on Texas PANS Advisory Council.
Jana Roso, PNP-C, APRN, FMAPS
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner providing holistic, integrative care for children with complex conditions; Co-author The Parent's Roadmap to Autism.
Kara Chasteen, MEd
Pivotal role in establishing and serves on Texas PANS Advisory Council ; mother of a son with PANS and became an advocate by ensuring voices are heard in the legislative process; advises the Texas Health and Human Services Commission on all things PANS.
Lizzie Martinez, MA, DHOM, CCH
Board-Certified Homeopath specializing in complex pediatric cases, including PANS/PANDAS, autism, and autoimmune dysfunction; Homeopathy Hive.
Courtney Dillon, MS, LPC
Licensed Professional Counselor offering therapies for children, teens, and adults with OCD, anxiety, trauma, and PANS/PANDAS.
Erin Paige
Intuitive Homeopath and host of the Remedy Revolution Podcast; mother of a child with PANS; advocate for natural therapies and family support.
Kelley Siliven
Advocate and mother who recovered her son from severe PANS/PANDAS; published story on BetterHealthGuy.com/rooftops; contributor to Somewhere in There: Families Living with PANS & PANDAS; Vice President PANDAS Awareness TX; frequent P/P podcast guest.
Leslie Anderson
President of PANDAS Awareness TX; Co-director of PANS/PANDAS Awareness Day at the Capitol; Co-host of Homeopathy is Changing Lives Podcast; former Chemical Engineer.
Video Testimonies
KIDS, PARENTS, PROVIDERS, & ADVOCATES:
This year, to better honor families’ time and ensure each story can be shared thoughtfully, we will not have live personal testimonies during the event. Instead, families will have the opportunity to submit a short video testimony that may be included in a video compilation shown at the Capitol.
Video submissions should be no more than 3-4 minutes and in a 16:9 format (Phone turned to landscape is perfect). Email your video to share@pansawarenesstx.org
*Dependent upon the number of submissions received, we cannot guarantee that every video will be included. Videos may be thoughtfully edited for length and impact, while taking care to preserve the meaning and integrity of each family’s story.
