Introduction

À Table! is the French phrase for Come to the Table.

The bottle of wine we have created is dedicated to our only child, Alexandra “Alex” Manfull, and to all the others whose lives have been afflicted by debilitating basal ganglia encephalitis diseases such as PANDAS. Alex died, at 26 years old, due to Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated with Streptococcus (PANDAS).

When Alex died, in August 2018, we barely knew what PANDAS was. Nor did most other people, including physicians. We decided to start the “À Table!” project. With the purchase of this bottle, you are part of the Project, and by bringing people to the table, you are raising awareness about these horrific diseases.

Come to the table. Our hope is that you take this bottle of wine to the table to share with friends and family alongside a meal you love. Coming to the table was our family tradition. It’s where we three—along with our many friends—recounted our day’s activities, expressed our joys and our disappointments, solved problems, talked politics, and had many laughs.

We hope this bottle engenders lively conversation at your table, too, and that you are moved to raise your glasses to Alex and others who have PANDAS or PANS with the commitment to spread the word about these disorders. All proceeds from the “À Table!” project will go toward research. The Alex Manfull Memorial Fund is part of PANDAS Network, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and all gifts to the fund are tax deductible as allowed by law.

Towny, Susan and Alex Manfull