PPeople suffering from undiagnosed NTM lung disease aren’t being heard by their doctors. Their complaints about painful and disruptive symptoms are getting ignored, leaving them misdiagnosed for years.

To finally get doctors’ attention, we paired real NTM patients with animators from around the world to create original films that communicate how hard it is for NTM patients to live without a diagnosis.

“Trapped” is the reimagining of Beth’s story using stop-motion animation. Prior to being diagnosed, Beth’s NTM trapped her in an endless cycle that took a toll on her personal and professional life.

She felt like she couldn’t break free from the disease’s devastating symptoms, which made her cough constantly and feel fatigued and feverish. These symptoms make up a monstrous contraption, which personifies the shame and embarrassment NTM victims suffer every day. The original track that plays throughout the film reinforces the repetition and madness the main character feels.

With physicians ignoring their patients’ complaints for years, we knew that using a patient simply telling her story wasn’t going to make an impact.

Instead, we employed the art of storytelling to deliver a breakthrough campaign that got doctors’ attention. The animations demand that doctors identify, diagnose, and treat NTM before their patients pay the price.

We were able to deliver our message to our key physician segments—pulmonologists and infectious disease specialists—and urge them to recognize the symptoms of undiagnosed NTM so they could start testing and treating their at-risk patients for this odious disease.