TAZEWELL, Tenn. — After a Tazewell 4-year-old child lost a "Rainbow Sparkle Bear" that had the heartbeat of their late mother, Build-A-Bear said they went to work to reunite the child with the toy.
While the child was not reunited with the exact same bear, Build-A-Bear was able to create a matching toy. They said they reached out to the family and learned even though the family lost the original bear, they still had a recording of the heartbeat. The company also found a matching "Rainbow Sparkle Bear," and put the recording into the new bear.
They said they sent the new bear to WRIL, who originally reported the story. The radio station gave the new bear to the family along with Goodwill Industries. The radio station said the original bear was accidentally donated to a Goodwill location in Tazewell.
Build-A-Bear's full statement is below.
The staff at Build-A-Bear were heartbroken to hear the news about the missing Rainbow Sparkle Bear in Tazewell, Tennessee. 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 of the missing bear. WRIL contacted the family directly and it turned out that they still had the original recording of the sound. The Bearhouse team located a matching Rainbow Sparkle Bear and added the original recording the family provided to the new bear. The new Rainbow Sparkle Bear, with the sound file included, was promptly sent to WRIL. WRIL and Goodwill worked to unite the new bear with the family. Build-A-Bear would like to thank WRIL and Goodwill for their helpful role and 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.
