“Until then, I thought it was a cancer that would kill me. Now I wondered whether resistant infection might be a more imminent threat.” Laila, 32, with advanced bowel cancer, speaking in the 'mini-film' False Peak on her experience of a drug resistant sepsis that delayed her cancer therapy.

Here I present the first in a series of 3-5 minute, ‘mini-films’ (digital stories) co-created with people who have experienced drug resistant infections. Called StoryBug, the project, brings true, real-life personal stories of people who have experienced antibiotic resistant infections to the public. Unlike more conventional films or videos that use big budget production crews, StoryBug helps the people who have experienced antibiotic resistant infections to create the video themselves – they are placed front and centre, by scripting in the first-person and using mobile phone imagery. Here, we use the Common Language Digital Storytelling (DST) process. The digital stories can serve the purposes of education, research, and advocacy (knowledge translation), and a form of therapy (informal). These stories could form a cornerstone of a multimedia public health campaign to support policy and National Action Plans (NAP) while encompassing a societal perspective in stimulating a multi-stakeholder dialogue. False Peak is featured in the UK's 2024-2029 NAP. The complete series of five stories is based on patient experience but could apply equally to stories from farmers, vets, pharmaceutical companies, or other stakeholders involved in AMR in the environment - anyone who has an experience related to AMR or antibiotic use that they are willing to share. Story 1: False Peak This is the story of a young woman, who developed an antibiotic resistant infection while undergoing chemotherapy for advanced bowel cancer.