Chronic Pain Won’t Stop This Teen From Catching All 151 Pokemon In One Amazing Bead Art!

Chronic physical pain can be so debilitating that people living with this condition are left with no choice but to give up — spend the rest of their lives in bed, sulk at home, and watch as the days go by.

But for Nete Hangel, 18, it is all about coping and being entertained amidst her sufferings.

Nete’s Story Of Pain

Since Nete was 11, she has been experiencing chronic pain. However, the doctors repeatedly said that the pain was all in her mind. At 14, Nete was diagnosed to have a rare disorder called complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS).

“I’ve become a boss at walking/ floating down stairs without my left leg touching the ground/ stairs,” she says. “It’s not because you forget it’s there (not even on good days) but you kinda learn to accept/ ignore it and not think too much about it.”

Unfortunately, Nete has to give up another passion: sailing. Because of her condition, she has to let go of her goal to become a ship officer because her body cannot tolerate the pressure of her dream job. With the pain etched in her legs, it is quite impossible to obtain the necessary education and training that she needs to reach her dreams.

Now, she also has to cut down her education as she goes to school to learn Math and Physics three times a week only. Though it seems like a lot less pressure, it is not. Nete has to endure an hour-long travel to Copenhagen just to get to school.

Seeing The Light

There was a time when Nete had to take 24 medicines for pain. She then started getting into what is called “Perler art.” This new hobby entails beading with plastic heat-fusing beads to make colorful and creative images. The term “perler” was derived from the name of a popular bead brand.

Nete said beading has become her way of clearing her head and coping because it is something she can continue to do despite not being able to think straight due to painkillers.

Nete’s Special Pokemon Bead Art

Nete has started with a huge Pokemon bead art, with the goal of capturing all the 151 first-generation Pokemon in one fantastic project. The finished product is said to stand about seven feet in height and will be made up of over 100,000 beads! So far, the project has 45,000 beads.

Here it is:

Tada! All 151 original Pokemon characters in one bead project!

Look at that detailed work!

Another closer look.

She was able to have a chance to work on this huge Pokemon project when she had to do therapy sessions four times per week.

When she finished her therapy and was able to walk again, it was time for her to get back to school and use her regained energy for her studies. The Pokemon art had to sit down for quite a while then.