Build-A-Bear.Photo: Build-A-Bear
A bittersweet ending came along for a young Tennessee girl whose special rainbow teddy bear, a reminder of her late mother, wasaccidentally donated to Goodwilllast month.
The missing stuffed animal was a custom Build-a-Bear that played the heartbeat of the girl’s late mother, which made finding it even more important.
“Her grandma made her [a] bear with her mom’s heartbeat in it,” Kennedy told the outlet, sharing that the sound plays when you squeeze the bear’s paw. Unfortunately, the bear ended up in a bag of donations Kennedy dropped off at Goodwill.
The news prompted a community-wide search.
“I can tell you, there’s a reason we’re called the Volunteer State,” added Dodson. “Everybody rallies around to try to help.”
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After hearing about the missing stuffed animal from a local radio segment,Build-a-Bear Workshop stepped inand kindly created a new bear for the little girl, complete with her mom’s heartbeat.
“The staff at Build-A-Bear were heartbroken to hear the news,” the company tells PEOPLE in a statement. “Understanding how precious furry friends often are, the team at the warehouse (otherwise known as the “Bearhouse”) reached out to the local radio station, WRIL, that originally aired the story.”
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After obtaining the audio file of the heartbeat from the Kennedy family, Build-A-Bear was able to incorporate it into the new bear.
“The new Rainbow Sparkle Bear, with the sound file included, was promptly sent to WRIL,” the company says. “WRIL and Goodwill worked to unite the new bear with the family.”
With its colorful stripes, the girl’s new bear looks essentially identical to the old one, and Brian O’Brien, president and GM of WRIL, who helped set the wheels in motion, tells PEOPLE the child has been happily reunited with the new version of her old friend.
Her father is “extremely thankful for Build-A-Bear replacing the bear and the efforts of Goodwill Industries Knoxville Inc. trying to get the original bear back,” O’Brien says.
“While we remain hopeful that the original bear is located, it is our sincere wish that this new teddy bear will provide a bit of comfort for the child and the family at this time,” adds Build-A-Bear.
source: people.com
