ABOUT

My Thyroid and Me was a uniquely challenging project. The brief was to create
a film that could communicate complex medical concepts to two distinct
audiences: children and young people, and their parents or carers. Both groups
were likely to have very little prior knowledge of the disease, and would be
feeling understandably anxious about the road ahead. We were tasked with
developing a creative concept that would guide the viewer through the entire
patient pathway, delivering medical information in a way that was accessible,
accurate, age-appropriate and not frightening.

From the outset, we knew the right approach was documentary. First-hand
testimony of lived experience is uniquely powerful, and we knew that both
young viewers and their parents or carers would connect most deeply with
someone who had been through it. Molly, aged 15 and recently treated for the
disease, and her mum Rebecca, stepped forward to take part in the film, along
with clinicians expert in the treatment of thyroid cancer.

We still had to grapple with the challenge of explaining complex physiology and
intimidating treatments. The answer revealed itself when we learned that Molly is
an artist who loves to draw and paint. Her artwork became the medium through
which we explained and illustrated anatomy, endocrinology, surgery, nuclear
medicine and pharmacology.

The film was released in January of this year and is now available to all newly
diagnosed young thyroid cancer patients, and their parents or carers, across the
UK.