MassBay English Student Writes Her Own Story of Resiliency

MassBay Community College English student Emilie Frechette poses on the Wellesley Hills campus after being honored at the College’s Evening of Excellence awards celebration, Wellesley Hills, MA, May 2026 (Photo / Emilie Frechette).

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Liz Cooper
ecooper@massbay.edu

WELLESLEY HILLS, Mass., (July 2, 2026) — Emilie Frechette began showing signs of an autoimmune disease—PANS (Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome) or PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated with Streptococcal Infections)—when she was about 11 years old.
“One day I was perfectly normal, then I was dealing with debilitating symptoms that made it difficult to function,” Emilie said. “It was odd and scary. This is easily misdiagnosed because it’s inflammation of the brain, which you can’t see. I was diagnosed with PANS and PANDAS within a few months; however I missed a lot of school and earned my GED because I was living with intense flares that made keeping up with life impossible.”

Needing a change, Emilie moved to Colorado for a fresh start and to map out her next steps. After returning to Hudson, Massachusetts, she began exploring local community colleges to reconnect with her love of learning.

“I visited the MassBay campus and immediately loved the vibe,” said Emilie. “I stumbled upon orientation already in full swing, but it was so festive and welcoming. I started speaking with a professor who explained MassBay’s literary magazine,lumière, and the creative writing course. I was extremely interested in lumière and got very excited about the opportunities. I went home, looked it up online, and felt inspired by the writing. I’ve always loved to write—short stories, poetry. When I really got into it, I appreciated the art and everything else lumière highlights. That pretty much sealed the deal for me to come to MassBay.”

Being an advocate for PANS and PANDAS is important to Emilie, so when she had the opportunity to write about it for lumière, she jumped at the chance. She used her writing skills to craft a short story about a girl, Isla, who lives with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), a symptom of PANS and PANDAS. Drawing from her own diagnosis, Emilie created Wonderland, For Brains This Colorful to offer a creative glimpse into what daily life can feel like for individuals living with OCD.

Her work was inspired not only by her desire to educate the public about this rarely discussed autoimmune disorder, but also by her aunt’s best friend who suffers from OCD. Emilie’s Wonderland was so well received that it was selected by the lumière staff for the Editors’ Choice Short Fiction Award, presented at MassBay’s annual Evening of Excellence.

“Professor Matt Walsh has been extremely understanding and supportive. Being a part of lumière and the creative writing club has solidified my future career path,” Emilie added.

Emilie plans to graduate from MassBay in May 2027 and transfer to the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she will pursue a bachelor’s degree in English and continue working toward her goal of becoming an author. She also hopes to become a middle school English teacher.

“Middle school is a tough age for kids,” she said. “I would like to create a safe space for them to learn and grow. This is the age when I became excited about writing, and I hope to inspire kids to start writing and get creative with their words.”

Although Emilie still experiences flares ups that make day-to-day life challenging, including missing school, she remains determined to raise awareness and support others.

“One thing I think is important for people to know is that I live with an autoimmune disease called PANS/PANDAS,” Emilie said. “It is essentially inflammation in the brain that causes many psychiatric symptoms. It can be completely debilitating and cause individuals and families to lose hope. This disease is not uncommon, although it is still not well known. This platform is extremely important to me because it allows me to share my story for those living with chronic illnesses, specifically PANS/PANDAS. It’s also important to spread awareness because I would not be here today if I hadn’t been properly diagnosed.”

To read Emilie’s Wonderland, For Brains this Colorful, visit page 48 https://www.lumierelitmag.com/issue-11

MassBay Community College is the most affordable higher education option in MetroWest Boston and is free to most Massachusetts residents without a bachelor’s degree. With more than 70 associate degree and certificate programs, along with comprehensive workforce and educational training, MassBay provides a wide range of courses with flexible day, evening, and weekend classes in Wellesley, Framingham, the Automotive Technology Center in Ashland, and online, in high-demand fields including health and life sciences, computer science, engineering, cybersecurity, business, and the humanities. MassBay students receive unparalleled value, with free one-on-one academic and social support services, compassionate and experienced faculty, and stackable credits that easily transfer to bachelor’s degree programs and that provide hands-on, workforce-ready skills. Health sciences, human services, early childhood education, and many general education programs are offered at the 65,000 square foot, state-of-the-art MassBay Framingham, which has served the community since January 2024. Founded in 1961, MassBay has been accredited by multiple governing bodies and remains dedicated to serving its diverse communities, fostering inclusiveness, and advancing equity for all.