A crocheting community was born when Bethan Cannell made it her mission to #createalittleaday.
Bethan, who is now 27, had to quickly come to terms with a neurological condition unexpectedly.
Functional Neurological Disorder is a condition that affects how the brain and body communicate, and the symptoms include weakness, sensory symptoms, movement problems and convulsions.
Due to it being a functional disorder, there is no known disease process affecting the structure of the body. However, the person affected will experience symptoms that affect their bodily function.
Bethan describes it as: 'A human software issue'.
During Bethan's time at Ramsey Grammar School, where she was completing her A Levels, she began to experience symptoms which included verbal and physical tics.
After going to the doctors, they came to the conclusion that this was due to a specific medication Bethan had been prescribed.
These symptoms were put down as a side-effect to the medication. Once Bethan completed her A Levels, the symptoms went away, with Bethan continuing on life as normal.
In 2019, Bethan suffered an accident which left her taking medication again, which then caused a flare in the same symptoms.
Diagnosing the condition proved to be a slow but humorous one.
Bethan said: 'Over the next year and a bit, the symptoms were kind of just there. I referred to it as entertainment - I'm someone who just naturally tries to entertain people, but it's not always the best thing.
'It was obvious that the tics were there, but it was funny because I was trying to order chocolate and just kept saying cheesecake instead. It was frustrating at times, but it was quite funny.'
The official diagnosis for FND was given to Bethan in August 2021. It began with her using a cane to support herself, and she now uses a wheelchair.
Her condition has made it difficult for her to walk long distances, also resulting in her not being able to work.
After being out of work for nearly a year, Bethan made it her mission to set a different goal each day. The aim of these goals were to hold herself accountable for something and bring joy to her everyday life.
After discovering a knack for crocheting, among other things such as painting and Lego, Bethan found herself doing something different each day. Whether it be a large project or a small one.
She said: 'I need a goal that makes me happy. It started off as just creating a little bit a day. For the last six months it's just been crocheting.
'If I post it every day then it means I've got that personal accountability. Not that someone's going to tell me off if I miss a day, but it just kind of helps to keep it going.'
Through regularly updating her Instagram page (@bethan.maed), Bethan has created a Crochet community, inspiring others to tap into their creative senses even when life throws you a curveball.
Bethan is on day 290 of #createalittleaday, and plans to continue on with her crocheting into 2025 due to the positivity it has created for her and others.