I got given Puppy when I was about a year old. I don’t actually know who gave him to me, or exactly when, but I know that he has been around for as long as I can remember. I got given Treliske when I had been brave in hospital when I was about eight.
The name of the hospital that I went to was called Treliske, so that is why I chose to call him that; you know how it is when you are young – you end up giving your teddies the most basic of names.

When I was quite young; maybe five or six, I used to take Puppy everywhere with me, even when we went out for dinner. Once I fell asleep in the car on the way home and when my dad carried me upstairs he forgot to bring Puppy. I remember being so upset about being on my own that he had to go and get him before I would go back to sleep.
When I was 18 I went to Kenya for four months and I didn’t take Puppy or Treliske with me. I remember genuinely considering whether I would take them or not, but I it occurred to me that it was a bit ridiculous. I left them in a position on my pillow, so that they could see what was going on; I hated the thought that they would be hidden, under the bed without being able to know what was going on for four months!

I don’t feel like they have ever become less important to me – I feel like our relationship has just changed slightly.
I am nearly 28 years old and I live with my boyfriend, yet every morning I make sure that I make the bed and put Puppy and Treliske in such a position that they are able to see what is going on during the day. My boyfriend learned quickly that he couldn’t just fling them out of bed when we got in; they had to be treated with care!

I would be truly heartbroken if either Puppy or Treliske disappeared. People are sentimental about jewellery and other objects, but to me my most sentimental possessions are Puppy and Treliske and if they were taken from me through theft or fire or whatever, I would be gutted.
They make me feel comfortable and safe.
I think if I ever were to be really upset about something and was at home on my own, I would still go upstairs to my bedroom and cuddle Puppy and Treliske. I suppose it’s that thing of comfort from your childhood; it makes you feel safe.
They remind me of my childhood and being looked after and loved. They remind me of my parents.