Dysautonomia Network Opens First Community Space in Playhouse District

Pasadena-based Los Angeles Dysautonomia Network opened its first physical space in the Playhouse District and raised $52,100 at an Oct. 3 housewarming, the nonprofit said in a news release.

The office and gathering space is at 696 E. Colorado Blvd., Suite 220, inside Arcade Lane. LADN plans to add in-person workshops and recurring drop-in community hours while continuing its virtual programs.

The fundraiser drew 65 attendees and volunteers and was presented by the Karsh Family Foundation, the organization said. Rep. Judy Chu, actress Mara Wilson and representatives of Assemblymember John Harabedian and Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger took part in a ribbon-cutting ceremony, according to the organization.

Wilson, who lives with dysautonomia, is an ambassador for the network.

Harabedian’s district director, Declan Floyd, presented a certificate of recognition, and Barger representative Leo Bautista brought a county scroll, the nonprofit said.

“We really poured our hearts into getting this space ready to be a community hub for patients and families dealing with the ongoing challenges of dysautonomia,” said Emily Suñez, LADN’s outreach director and co-founder.

The new space marks a change for a group with roots in a Pasadena support circle. Suñez founded a local group for people with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, or POTS, in 2018. She and other patients formed LADN in 2020; it became a nonprofit in 2023.

Dysautonomia affects the autonomic nervous system, which regulates involuntary functions such as heart rate and blood pressure, according to the National Library of Medicine. POTS is one form of the condition.

LADN offers patient and caregiver support groups, educational workshops, a book club and peer networking. It also provides healthcare access grants for low-income California patients. Some virtual programs are available to people outside the state.

In a 2023 study cited by LADN, 26 of 33 participants with long COVID met the criteria for POTS. The finding came from a small research group and does not establish a prevalence rate for everyone with long COVID.

“We’re incredibly grateful to the many donors, sponsors, and volunteers who made this event a success,” executive director and co-founder Sally Krueger-Wyman said in the release.

LADN said proceeds from the Oct. 3 event will support its existing programs and operating costs at the Pasadena location.