2023 IAES Virtual
~Tabitha Andrews Orth~
“Brain On Fire”
This logo design was created to raise awareness for Autoimmune Encephalitis. It is the art that represents this year’s awareness month theme, ‘Brain on fire’ and is showcased on merchandise at the AE Warrior Store. Several common symptoms seen in AE are labeled in the area of the brain where those symptoms are controlled. Tabitha is the Founder and President of IAES. She got sick in 2013. Her disease is no longer present.

~Bat Easter~
“Look what they done to my brain”
Look what they’ve done to my brain
Well, they picked it like a chicken bone
And I think I’m half insane, ma
Look what they’ve done to my song.”

~Christopher Hooper~
“Brain Bound”
Battling Autoimmune Encephalitis since 2016. It’s how I feel. Basically, it’s the feeling that I’m being held back from doing the things I was made to do on this earth. I was once able go to the ends of the earth, to help the most poverty stricken people on this plant. And I long to continue to do that.


~Bat Easter~
“Skill deficit and return during illness and treatment”
Age of artist: 31 years old.
These three images documents how AE altered my ability to draw, from
shortly before showing symptoms, at the height of illness and symptoms, to
treatment and remission of anti-NMDAr encephalitis.
~Haille Gleeson~
“Warm Monochromatic Girls”
Age 17

~Bec Jones~
“It’s all in your head”
This work aims to capture my experience with autoimmune encephalitis, a stroke caused by complications from the AE and the recovery from this. I loved making it and being able to show how every part of the body is effected even if not visible from the outside. I tried to capture the chaotic and horrific nature of the disease and the psychiatric symptoms that haunted me through the monotone and semi-abstract design. With my left side paralysed I also used repetition of the leg to show the movement slowly coming back and the neuroplasticity through plastic neurons coming from the brain/spinal cord into the damaged areas. I tried to capture many elements including the dysautonomia, seizures, sensory overload, weakness, nausea, speech difficulties, vision difficulties, osteopenia from chronic steroid use, etc. I called the artwork ‘it’s all in your head’ as I spent 12 months being treated for psychiatric illness, with just under 20 psych medications, TMS, ECT, 10 day Ketamine infusion and over 6 months in psych wards being told it was mental illness as my body was deteriorating, I was having seizures, movement disorder, dysautonomia, becoming weak and catatonic. I found making this work very therapeutic to show others what it has felt like for me through the hardest times and show myself how far I have come.

~Tayla Henderson~
~Kerry Jones~
“Dawn of a New Day”
This was a sunrise I caught the other day. I call it “Dawn of a New Day.” It reminds me to keep looking forward rather than back.
~Rebecca White~
“Against It”
Click Image to open poem.


~Jarrett Meier~
~Sandria Glasgow~
~Mari Wagner Davis~
~Julia King~



~Mendie Milam~
“Peace”
~Ryan Henn-Hawthorne~
“No name”
~Cheyenne Fenton~
“Fire Stripes”
Hello, my name is Cheyenne Fenton, I’m 24 years old. I created this digital art and named it Fire Stripes. I did reference another piece of work for this portrait (using zebra stripes on the face), with the permission of that artist.
~Celia Fermon~
~Samantha Slaughter~
~James Fitch~
“My Wife, My Warrior”
Created by James Fitch 48 for my Warrior Angie Fitch 48.
~Luka Hooper~
“Keep Standing”
When your brain is so broken it forgets how to do the most basic of things. How to think, stay awake, move your body, or even forget reality. Because of these things and so many more, you can want to lie down and let yourself rot away. If you still want to find things to laugh about, moments that bring you joy, love to give and receive, just to live, then stand up and fight!

~Tabitha Andrews Orth~
*I am Unstoppable*
This photo was taken of my niece greeting a Santa Barbara, California Sunset. It spoke to me. So I have used it to help express my feelings about having autoimmune encephalitis.
~Gordon Muir~
Scotland



~Stephen Gutierrez~
‘Praying for healing’
~Keira White~
‘Brain on fire” & “Medical mysteries’.
~Laura Meltchler~
‘AE Awareness Ribbon & Dandelion’



~Jessica Stearns~
‘Fighter & Survivor’
My name is Jessica Stearns and I’m 33 I was 24 when I first got sick. This is to remind me that no matter what life throws at me I can overcome it because I’m a fighter and a survivor.
~Karen Ebuenga~
‘AE & Autism’
~Melody Wilson~
‘Warrior will fight another day’