Pomona-Pitzer (P-P) track and field runner Kirk Lord PZ ’28 was adorned with the CALHope Courage Award on Jan. 12, and received $1,000 for his nonprofit National PANDAS/PANS Youth Alliance.
According to its website, the CALHope Courage Award is given to “collegiate student athletes who have overcome stress, anxiety and mental trauma associated with personal hardships and adversity.”
The award can be given to people with a range of experiences, such as suffering an injury that keeps them out of their sport, or, in Lord’s case, having the autoimmune disorder Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections (PANDAS) — also known as Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PAN).
Lord’s PANDAS was induced by having strep throat as a child. In response to the strep, his immune system created autoantibodies that started attacking his basal ganglia, which is responsible for motor function, cognition and emotional regulation.
Lord first started experiencing symptoms of PANDAS in second grade, appearing as severe OCD and Tourette’s symptoms. He was initially misdiagnosed and was told that he would no longer be able to get through second grade at his public school.
He began receiving antibiotics for the remaining infection and steroids for inflammation. He also received IVIG, which consists of antibodies conglomerated from thousands of donors, and was administered over six to nine months.
“Overnight, I went back to being myself, the color came back in my face,” Lord said. “My eyes no longer looked dead; my symptoms dissipated and my true self emerged.”
As PANS/PANDAS was only discovered in the 1990s, many patients often go undiagnosed. Lord said that if he hadn’t received the immunological treatment and instead undergone psychotherapy, he likely wouldn’t have been able to attend college, or even continue his education past second grade.
To combat misdiagnosis and misprescription, the nonprofit National PANDAS/PANS Youth Alliance raises awareness about the disease.
“[Winning this award] gives me a platform to share what you can do in the face of adversity,” Lord said. “It means a lot to be recognized by my peers for what I’ve been through and to spread awareness about [PANS/PANDAs].”
Outside of his advocacy work, Lord is a dedicated athlete and is commended by his coaches and teammates for his grit. For most of his track career, Lord has run the 800-meter event. He said that building his physical endurance has helped him handle adversity outside of athletics.
“I’ve learned what I’m physically capable of and also what I’m mentally able to push through,” Lord said. “I have experienced an incredible amount of pain in races, but I know that I can get through that pain. I know that I can tough it out, and I carry that over to school, advocacy, battling my own illness and any other adversity that I face.”
Lord said that the financial support from the award will greatly benefit the PANS/PANDAS community. In addition to raising awareness, his nonprofit advocates for federal legislation requiring insurance coverage for treatments. Despite being officially diagnosed, when he recently received IVIG, he was denied insurance coverage three times.
Lord has been working to change that. He attended mental health conferences, spoke with officials in Washington, D.C. and recently advocated for and secured millions in research funding.
“He’s just an amazing person,” said Emma DeLira, associate head coach of cross country and track and field at P-P, “I came to realize he’s not just an athlete; he’s doing a lot of advocacy, spreading the word [about PANS/PANDAS] and the challenges that [he] faces. It shows that if others are challenged and struggling, you can also overcome it. It’s an amazing story that he has to tell.”
Another important pillar of Lord’s nonprofit is building a community for other people who have PANS/PANDAS. Lord said that many people with the disease don’t know anyone else who has it.
“Most kids need some hope; they need some treatment, and I want to help get that to them,” he said. “I know what is inside of them [and] what they’re capable of.”
Although Lord has been properly diagnosed and treated, he still faces challenges. During his freshman year, he had an intense flare-up of OCD, and after participating in cross-country in the fall, he had to “redshirt” his track and field season. Despite these difficulties, Lord met with the team and was an important community member, according to DeLira.
“Kirk battling his injuries and his mental illnesses that he’s been facing is super impressive and embodies what it means to be an athlete,” Lord’s teammate and P-P record-holder Jack Stein PO ’26 said.“Kirk is very deserving of this award. The fact that he is still so driven and has such a positive attitude and is so passionate about athletics is a tribute to his character.”
Lord’s journey with PANDAS is ongoing, but he maintains a hopeful attitude despite periodic ups and downs.
“Now that I see the light at the end of the tunnel, I want every other kid with PANS/PANDAS to know that you might not see the light at the end of the tunnel right now,” Lord said. “Just know that you will get there if you do the right things and focus on treatment, even though there is so much uncertainty with an autoimmune disease. You are bound to get better as long as you persevere.”
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