Hope Lights the Way: A Family’s Journey of Healing from PANS/PANDAS by Elizabeth Salsedo-Surovov and Family
ASPIRE is pleased to share *Hope Lights the Way: A Family’s Journey of Healing from PANS/PANDAS*, a new book by Elizabeth Salsedo-Surovov and Family that offers a deeply personal account of navigating PANS/PANDAS, finding answers, and holding on to hope through an often overwhelming journey.
Through her family’s experiences, Elizabeth shares the challenges of recognizing and understanding PANS/PANDAS, seeking appropriate medical care, navigating disruptions to education and family life, and coping with the uncertainty that so many families know firsthand. Her story reflects the emotional, physical, and practical toll these conditions can take, while also highlighting the persistence, relationships, and support that help families move forward.
Throughout the book, Elizabeth uses the imagery of a maze to describe the often confusing path families must navigate. There are wrong turns, unexpected obstacles, and moments when the way forward seems impossible to find. Yet there are also people who help illuminate the next step, meaningful progress, and opportunities for healing.
The book also explores how personal experience can lead to advocacy. Elizabeth’s journey extends beyond her own family to helping improve awareness, understanding, and access to care for others affected by PANS/PANDAS.
A Foreword from ASPIRE
ASPIRE President Gabriella True was honored to write the foreword, drawing on her experiences as a parent of two young adults with PANS/PANDAS, her own experience living with PANS, and years of supporting and advocating alongside affected families.
Gabriella and Elizabeth have also worked together on PANS/PANDAS advocacy in Connecticut, including efforts that contributed to the passage of legislation expanding insurance coverage for medically necessary treatment in 2026.
Their shared commitment reflects one of the book’s central messages: families should not have to navigate these challenges alone, and the experiences of those who have traveled this path can help make it easier for those who follow.
*Hope Lights the Way* is a story of perseverance, family, community, and the possibility of healing. For families currently navigating PANS/PANDAS, it offers both recognition of the difficulties they face and encouragement that progress is possible.
Find Hope Lights the Way on Amazon
Gabriella True
