School assignment gives creative insight into living with Asthma   

Scalby School pupil Paige Robinson (14) who suffers from Asthma, has been a regular patient on the Duke of Kent Ward at Scarborough Hospital since she was 16 months old.

During her recent stay in hospital, Paige was set a mystery story assignment by her English teacher. Working with Ward Teacher Louise Aveyard, Paige’s creative interpretation of this project entitled ‘Seeing through fearful eyes’ gave an insightful read into a child’s view of hospital and what it is like to live with Asthma.  

Louise, explained:  “Paige wrote an interesting short story reflecting how she feels about hospitals and procedures she has to go through when she is in with us. 

“Paige is a regular patient of ours and she is extremely needle phobic, so it was incredibly powerful to read her words and to gain a perspective on a child's eye view of what it is like to live with Asthma.”

Paige, whose favourite lesson is catering, wants to be a professional cake maker when she leaves school. Her story is proudly displayed on the ward.  

Seeing Through Fearful Eyes by Paige Robinson

I suddenly woke up. Monsters surrounded me, roaring. I suddenly sat up, my head pounding with dizziness. A bright star shone right into my eyes, blinding me. Blue snakes fought with each other, hissing with anger. I was terrified and confused. I wished that I could be back in sparkling Blue Ocean!

All of a sudden the big scary monsters pulled me back down onto the hard lumpy dreading bed.

I felt like the room was closing into me! All I could hear was loud screaming creatures. As I laid there, I was gasping for air, I was really scared. All of a sudden everyone’s worse nightmare happened …   

A low rumbling noise of a dragon reaches for my face and smothers me with smoke.  I feel an uncomfortable tug behind my ears.  The mouth grips my face and makes my nose pour with salty, slippery slather, like being licked by a rabid dog.

My heart was pounding, it felt like a baby bouncing on my chest.  A huge, hairy, scary monster with hands like claws slowly walked towards me with a massive, terrifying fat syringe. I was really petrified. I looked at the gigantic monster as I was hiding, tucked up in a tight ball, hoping he wouldn’t find me. All of a sudden I stood up and uncurled from my ball, and there was no one there, the big scary monster had moved onto someone else! I felt a great sense of relief.

Two hours had gone and I was still laid here in the daunting noisy room. I didn’t know what was going to happen next (I was really terrified.)

All of a sudden the Lilly light sun gleamed beautifully through the blinds.

The light blue blinds were dancing peacefully with each other from the breezy wind.

The steam of the nebuliser was making it easier for me to breathe, it felt lovely to be able to breathe properly again.

All of the happy, poorly babies were all playing lovely with each other, their faces lit up. The room felt like it was getting bigger and bigger as the minutes passed by.

19 August 2014