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RHOC’s Emily Simpson Is ‘Struggling’ to Decide What to Do Next With Son Luke’s PANDAS Diagnosis (Exclusive)

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The Real Housewives of Orange County star Emily Simpson is still searching for answers as her son Luke continues to be treated for PANDAS and ARFID.

“I don’t know if Luke’s any better. We’re still dealing with a lot of the same issues, and we’ve tried a couple things,” Emily, 50, exclusively shared with Us on Friday, August 14, while promoting season 20 of the Bravo reality show. “I don’t know if they’re working, and that’s hard for me as a mom because I want to fix everything.”

During the season 19 premiere of RHOC in July 2025, Emily revealed her 11-year-old son was diagnosed with avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID).

According to the Cleveland Clinic, ARFID is a condition that limits a person’s food intake. Those facing the eating disorder can lose interest in eating, feel anxious about the consequences of eating and avoid foods that have an unwanted color, taste, texture or smell.

Related: RHOC’s Emily Simpson Clarifies 10-Year-Old Son ‘Can Read’ Amid Disability

The Real Housewives of Orange County’s Emily Simpson wants to make it clear that she loves her kids just as they are. “Just to clarify: Luke can read, he’s just not reading at his grade level, and he’s struggling with word comprehension etc,” Simpson, 49, wrote via Instagram on Thursday, October 2. “He was also […]

After sharing her son’s story, Emily received helpful recommendations from viewers who suggested further tests. Luke was later also diagnosed with PANDAS, a group of autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with strep throat.

“I go back and forth between continuing and trying to find different therapies for him, or just [thinking] Luke is Luke, and maybe he doesn’t need therapy or IVIG treatment,” Emily explained to Us. “Maybe he just needs to be Luke, and that’s hard sometimes to figure out if I’m doing the right thing and making the right choices when it comes to him.”

Last year, Emily — who also shares daughter Annabelle, 13, and son Keller, 11, with husband Shane Simpson — confirmed to Us that Luke underwent a laser brain procedure. When asked about the treatment on Friday, the reality star said she is unsure whether it made much of a difference.

“We tried IVIG therapy, which is an infusion of antibodies. It takes about six hours. He actually had to sit on a couch, and a nurse came over, did an infusion,” Emily recalled. “You’re supposed to do six sessions of that. We only did one so far, and I’m at a point where I don’t know if I want to continue on with the rest of the infusions or not. That’s a hard place for me to be in right now.”

Luke had some “severe reactions” to the treatment, including migraines and nausea, so Emily is questioning what to do next.

“As a mom, it’s hard for me to say, ‘OK, now we need to do it again,’ and that’s what I’m struggling with,” she shared. “But I have a group of moms that are, like, my PANDAS group of moms. They have told me this is the only treatment that actually helped their kids with PANDAS. So I’m struggling with whether to go forward, or just to let Luke be.”

Emily’s openness about her son’s health struggles has been embraced by many viewers who feel less alone with their kids’ situations.

Related: RHOC’s Emily Simpson Slams Critics Who Think She Caused Son’s ARFID

Emily Simpson is setting the record straight on one cruel assumption surrounding her son’s eating disorder. “I have to say, I’ve had some people say negative things about the eating disorder, and they’ll make a correlation between me having surgery or me losing weight,” Emily, 49, exclusively shared with Us Weekly on Wednesday, July 16, […]

According to Emily, who also hosts iHeartRadio’s “Legally Brunette” podcast, her Instagram DMs are flooded with comments from parents who can relate to her own family’s journey. The supportive messages remind her that sharing Luke’s experience can be beneficial.

“My reason for continuing on and navigating this truly challenging time (in real time and on camera) was because I knew I’d get more answers, support and feedback than any therapist or doctor could provide. The Bravo fans are incredible and caring people, and I wasn’t wrong!” Emily wrote via Instagram in July 2025. “Thank you for the information and support you are all sending my way! Please keep it coming and please talk to your children about being kind to the kids who might be a little different ❤️❤️.”

The Real Housewives of Orange County airs on Bravo Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET. Stream new episodes the next day on Peacock.



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