Beth Alison Maloney is a successful attorney who has represented both writers and producers, celebrity entertainers and athletes. Her experience includes serving as Vice-President of Legal Affairs for the Orion Pictures Corporation and producing motion pictures. Beth is also a mother and the author of Saving Sammy: A Mother's Fight to Cure Her Son's OCD.The book is based on the true story of Beth’s incredible experience with her son, Sammy, who was misdiagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Tourette’s syndrome.
Sammy displayed symptoms that included walking with his eyes shut and refusal to touch door handles or light switches, or sleep in his bed. Sammy was prescribed psychiatric medication for OCD, when he actually had Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections, known as PANDAS. It was more than a year-long battle for Sammy to be correctly diagnosed and treated. Treatment of the infection with an antibiotic led to his full recovery.
In the interview with our Different & Able Founder and President, Alexandra Nicholas, Beth discusses what PANDAS is, the struggles that Sammy and his family faced, the refusal of doctors to help, and the story behind how Beth cured Sammy. Beth and her son Sammy continue their efforts today by spreading awareness about PANDAS and reminds others that sometimes it takes the energy and questioning of an outsider, not a medical professional, to get to the heart of a matter.
To learn more about Sammy, please click on the link provided.
