For most children, toys seems to become important figures in their lives and some of them even grow a sentimental attachment to these toys. Therefore, losing one of those cherished possessions could be heart-wrenching for the child. Unfortunately, in April 2023, this heartbreaking scenario became all too real for one family.
A father in Knoxville, Tennessee named Kennedy has scoured the internet in hopes of finding his 4-year-old daughter’s tie-dyed rainbow teddy bear.
The teddy bear from Build-a-Bear was accidentally donated to a Goodwill store in Tazewell. However, there would be nothing to discuss if it was just an ordinary teddy bear. In fact, this teddy bear contained something incredibly special to the little girl.
As per WJHL, the bear contained a recording of the girl’s late mother’s heartbeat. The bear makes the heartbeat sound whenever its hand is squeezed. It was recorded before the mother passed – about a year before the bear was accidentally donated.
“My daughter’s mom passed away and her grandma made her bear with her mom’s heartbeat in it,” Kennedy explained. According to this father, it is the only thing that his child has left of her late mother.
Once news about this mistake spread, people in the Tennessee area – as well as plenty of the internet users– put in their best efforts to find the sentimental teddy bear.
A sign was placed in the Goodwill store where the bear was originally donated to, asking whoever has the bear to return it to the store. The store’s manager has still hoped that the bear will turn up while many people on the internet have sent their best wishes to Kennedy and his daughter.
The Knoxville Goodwill store’s Instagram page posted a photo of a teddy bear that looked similar to the little girl’s bear along with the caption:
“Please help our local donor. They accidentally donated a bear that was very sentimental to them and it was sold in our store before they realized it. If you have any information, please call us at 865.588.8567 – we would love to see them reunited.”
A radio station had an update on Facebook post that was edited on April 17, 2023, that read:
“Calls and messages to the store and our station have been coming in from all over the country, but the manager feels that the bear is still most likely in the Tri-State area.”
A spokesperson for Goodwill Industries Knoxville named Cindy Dodson spoke with TODAY about the citation. “It was a complete mistake,” she said. “When the father came back and saw that it was sold, his heart sank.”
Fortunately, people have been doing their part to help. “It’s been amazing to see customers, including regulars, ask staff about the teddy bear,” Dodson shared.
According to a spokesperson for Build-a-Bear, the company would replace the toy with a recording of the girl’s mom’s heartbeat as it was provided by the family.
“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,”, said the spokesperson.
