OREGON CITY, Ore. — When Ben LaMont was 5, he often had nightmares. Monsters lurked in his dreams, and once he even woke up screaming that Thomas the Train was chasing him to eat him. Each time, he ran to his mother’s room, terrified.
Looking for a way to help, his mom, Michelle, asked him to describe a monster to protect him. Together they drew a picture, and then Michelle sewed it into a stuffed creature. Ben named it Mr. Fuzzy.
“Even if their interests change or grow beyond worry monsters in the future, that deep-seated value of helping others will carry with Ben and Wyatt their whole lives.”
With its bright red fuzzy body, cartoonish blue eyes, purple horns and a wide pouch-like mouth, Mr. Fuzzy wasn’t frightening at all. Instead, it became Ben’s nighttime protector.
“If you open the zipper on its mouth, it will eat the bad dream,” Ben explained. “It’s supposed to eat the nightmares and let the good dreams pass.”
Sleeping with Mr. Fuzzy by his side, Ben stopped having bad dreams. He thought: if a monster could help him, maybe it could help others, too. So, he decided to create his homemade versions of worry monsters: stuffed, monster-like toys with a zipper mouth or pouch, that help children like himself cope with anxiety by “eating” the worries they write down and give to them.
More worry monsters for kindness
When Ben turned 6, he started sketching and sewing his own designs. He grew more enthusiastic for sewing and animal projects after joining the Road Hogs 4-H club. His worry monster submission in the Clackamas County fair won a purple ribbon. In one winter alone, he made six monsters for his teachers and friends in Gaffney Lane Elementary School. A teacher’s aide later told Michelle that she kept her worry monster close while going through chemotherapy.
The encouragement inspired Ben to make more. Over time, the project became a family affair. His younger brother, Wyatt, joined in, first as a kindergartener drawing monsters for classmates during COVID-19. Michelle stitched the creations, Ben stuffed them and together the LaMonts hosted a “Zoom monster party” with Wyatt’s class.
Now Ben and Wyatt are 12 and 10, and their “Worry Monster Kindness Project” has grown beyond their Oregon City home. They set up a Facebook page to take customized orders. Each worry monster costs $30 and you can choose the color, shape, number of eyes, horns and teeth.
The money will cover the cost of making monsters for donations. The family donates monsters to nonprofits like the Dougy Center in Portland, Liberty House in Salem and Bloomin’ Boutique in Oregon City, which support children experiencing loss, trauma or poverty.
“We found out that these worry monsters were actually a remedy for kids who have issues with anxiety or autism,” Patti Serres, founder and executive director of Blommin’ Boutique, said. “It helps them calm down and feel like they have a special friend, because they’re all uniquely done and customized. So it really does become a personal item for the kid.”
Each of the LaMonts’ worry monsters are unique. Sometimes quirky, sometimes cute, some have eyelashes, some have their tongue sticking out. Each one is stitched from fabric that the LaMonts bought or donated by neighbors, quilting clubs and even strangers who saw Ben’s story on social media.
The family sets up an assembly line at home: Wyatt likes to be the drawer, Ben and Michelle sew and stuff. On a good day, they can finish five monsters. They make sure the monster is safe for kids of all ages, so no buttons or loose parts and all fabrics are washable. If a worry monster is going to a hospital, the LaMonts will make sure to double wrap it with a plastic package to keep it sanitized.
Serres connected the LaMont family with Theo, a boy from Woodburn battling brain cancer. Theo and his little sister received not only their own worry monsters, but a blanket made of patchwork monster squares.
“I feel bad for the kids in accidents, hospitals or shelters,” Ben said. “I want to give them worry monster to help them and make them feel better.”
Serres said the Bloomin’ Boutique has received “hundreds and hundreds” of worry monsters that “are forever keeping our inventory filled up.” The nonprofit team packs each worry monster into the care package they send out to children in need.
In June, Ben reached his 1,000th monster — a milestone recognized at the 2025 Teddy Bear Parade in Oregon City, where he donated dozens to the Lions Club for first responders to give to children in emergencies.
Growing with 4-H
Both Ben and Wyatt are active members of the Road Hogs 4-H club, where they explore cooking, horticulture, fishing and raising chickens and guinea pigs. Michelle is an assistant leader in the club, and her husband, Shawn, teaches fishing.
4-H has given Ben a platform to share his sewing project and skills. Together with Michelle, he has taught sewing workshops where children learn to make their own worry monsters.
“Many of our 4-H’ers value service, but Ben’s project is really much bigger in scope than most youth his age,” said Wendy Hein, 4-H professor of practice in Clackamas County. “The fact that he’s done it for so long and continues to be excited about it, I find that noteworthy.”
Cooking is another passion for Ben, who dreams of one day running a food truck. Known as “Chef Beans,” he has already written several cookbooks with his favorite recipes. This summer, he set up a booth at a local farmer’s market to sell his baked goods, with a business card where people can contact him for orders. Hein said she appointed Ben to be her cupcake provider for her birthday party.
“4-H is just an amazing opportunity for kids like Ben, who are bright, hard-working and who may be home-schooled or out in the country, away from potential interactions. It just gives them an opportunity to excel,” said Amy Thurmond, Ben’s 4-H leader at the Road Hogs club.
‘Just one more, mom’
Michelle sometimes wonders if her sons will eventually outgrow the monsters.
“Every now and then, I’ll tell Ben, if you are getting tired of doing this, you can stop, no pressure,” she said.
Sometimes, Ben admits he’s ready for a break. But then, as soon as he hears of another child who needs one, he’s back at the sewing machine.
After a long, busy summer capped with county fairs and parades, Michelle suggested they pause.
“Just one more, Mom, please,” Ben begged.
Michelle smiled and nodded.
“They are just bringing so much good to this world, even if it’s on a small scale,” Michelle said. “When you see the monsters they made become one more outlet to help the kids and become their therapy friend, Shawn and I agreed that what they are doing should be encouraged.”
Ben said his dream job, besides opening a food truck, is to be the mayor of Oregon City so that he could deliver worry monsters to every kid in the city.
“Even if their interests change or grow beyond worry monsters in the future,” Hein said, “that deep-seated value of helping others will carry with Ben and Wyatt their whole lives.”
Contact the Clackamas County 4-H office at 503-655-8631 if you are interested in learning more about 4-H programs or supporting 4-H members’ projects.
