CREATIVE
SPACE
CHARACTER BIOGRAPHY
Pads really dislikes uncertainty. Like… a lot.
He feels safest when he knows exactly what’s happening and when it’s going to happen.
Sudden changes, surprises, or unplanned events can make Pads feel very uncomfortable. Sometimes this shows up as anger, but most of the time it’s actually fear hiding underneath. Pads doesn’t like leaving things to chance at all. Being in control helps him feel calmer and safer.
Because of this, other people might see Pads as bossy or controlling. That’s not what Pads wants, and he’s trying to work on it—but it’s hard when uncertainty feels so scary.
Pads is also very productive and motivated, and this is helping him take his first steps towards managing his fear. He’s learning that you can build skills and take control of your own recovery. At the same time, Pads is discovering something important, that you can’t control everything! And that’s okay.
Little by little, Pads is learning how to live with uncertainty - even when it feels uncomfortable -
and realising that he is stronger than his fear
Pads wears a hat, we choose a bucket hat because his is a cool character and because it allows him to hide his eyes if he feels overwhelmed. We have shown him doing a solo activity because being alone feels easiest for him.
Being on his own gives him more certainty and control. The remote-control car with fear written on represents Pads’ need for control and his growing understanding that he - not fear - is in charge.
PADS
Fizz is a monster with very big feelings. When she starts to feel angry, her body fills up with fizzy energy and dots begin to appear all over her skin. The angrier she gets, the more dots show up, making her feelings impossible to ignore.
Fizz isn’t angry because she’s mean. She gets angry because her brain thinks it’s protecting her from danger. When things feel unfair, out of control, or overwhelming, her anger bubbles up fast. Fizz is learning that anger is a signal, not a boss, and that with the right tools she can slow the fizz, calm her body, and choose what to do next.
We chose dots so we had a visual way of showing how angry Fizz is. The eyebrows off her face allow
us to show how big her emotions are and how overwhelmed she is feeling.
FIZZ
Glitch was a confident, sociable kind of guy. His friends all thought he was really strong and brave and would dare to do anything. He was super sporty and really good at football.
In year six, Glitch got ill. When his sore throat had gone, Glitch went back to school but, over the next few weeks, he started to feel not like his usual self. He was anxious and worried. School suddenly became a really difficult place to be. His handwriting became messy and all the sounds seemed really loud. Even his clothes felt wrong on his skin.
Very quickly, Glitch found he didn’t feel safe anywhere but at home with his Mum. He developed tics which made him look like he was glitching and OCD that was so bad he got stuck for hours every day. For Glitch tho’ the worst thing was that he was no longer able to play football with his mates. His legs didn’t want to do what he told them anymore.
Glitch’s parents took him to see the doctor because they were so worried. Luckily, their doctor remembered that Glitch had been ill just before all these changes and realized he had a condition called PANDAS. She explained that some people’s immune systems don’t deal with infection as well as others and this can cause tiny changes in a part of the brain which controls things like feelings, movements and senses.
With the doctor’s help, Glitch got some medication to help with his PANDAS. He still gets symptoms from time to time when he gets ill but he asks for help and keeps going. When things are tough and he can’t play football, he plays FIFA on his games console instead. It helps to distract him from intrusive thoughts. It also helps because he can always start again if he doesn’t get it ‘right’.
Glitch wears comfy clothes and soft, practical shoes because comfort supports his sensory needs. His hood can be pulled up when the world feels too loud or overwhelming — a small way to create a sense of safety. And his headphones help to muffle sound when everything feels a bit too much.
We created Glitch alongside the wonderful
PANS PANDAS UK Youth Board.
They created his background story and helped shape who he is by sharing ideas about his clothes, accessories and the all the little details that will help other people learn about PANS and PANDAs and help other people feel less alone.
