Who fights the monster under your bed?

Who fights the monster under your bed? Or, in my case - the ones hiding in the blood test room?!

This is my entry into the Warren Evans 'Who fights the monsters under your bed' competition

I had many soft toys as a child and a few have lasted the years and still sit by my bedside. My most beloved is Clowny (I wasn't very imaginative with names as a child and had Clowny, Pinky, Giraffey - you get the picture!) who is a soft bodied clown with wool hair and felt eyes, nose and mouth. He did originally have a fine set of clothes but these are long gone so he's now a naturist clown in his old age!

I spent a lot of time in hospital as a child due to my heart condition and Clowny was given to me as a get well present from a neighbour. As a child I loved clowns and at the age of 5, a clown was what I aspired to be 'when I grew up!'! I was thrilled with Clowny and was rarely without him.

Clowny with me in hospital.

Clowny certainly made things easier for me whilst in hospital. Due to having to look after my older brother and sister, my Mum wasn't always able to stay with me so Clowny was a comfort on those nights. At the end of the ward was the ' Evil Room', the room where you went for injections and blood tests which of course I associated with pain and upset. I was moved to a bed where I could see this room, which although the door would be shut - still scared me! With Clowny on hand for hugs, I always knew I was safe in my bed.

One fateful evening when I returned from brushing my teeth I found CLOWNY MISSING FROM MY BED!! Cue full on tears and tantrum, how could I go to bed and sleep without Clowny, especially when I could see the 'Evil Room' at the end of the corridor? The nurses searched all around my bedside and went from bed to bed to see if Clowny had been snaffled by another child but he was nowhere to be seen. My favourite nurse went off to the wards toy box to see if there was another toy I could sleep with despite me sobbing that no other toy would do. I was inconsolable and the nurses couldn't calm me down. Order was finally restored when my favourite nurse returned from her trip to the toy box, beaming and holding my beloved Clowny! It seems one of the day nurses had thought he was a 'hospital toy' and had scooped Clowny up with other toys to be returned to the communal toy box! I don't think Clowny left my side after that, I certainly remember always taking him to the bathroom with me!

 He may look a bit worse for the wear these days but he still guards my bedside and I bet it's only a matter of time till the day when my little one will start wanting cuddles off him. I'm sure he'll be as perfect a guardian to her as he was to me!