A 6-year-old girl, Naomi Pascal in Jackson, Wyoming, never expected for her special teddy bear to be back into her arms after she forgot it last year in Glacier National Park, AP News reported.
It was the thing she treasured since she has been adopted from an Ethiopian orphanage.
But her family and people around her believe that her teddy bear will return, and through the help of social media, a park ranger, and the shutting of the trail all led the lost teddy bear back to its little owner.
Naomi’s dad Ben shared that the teddy bear’s return is a wonderful story.
“It was just a story of hope and kindness and people just working together,” he said. “It touched people’s hearts. It gave ’em hope. It made ’em feel like there is good in the world, which I believe there is.”
Naomi got the teddy bear as a gift from Ben and Addie in 2016, and since then, it has traveled with the family anywhere – from Croatia, Rwanda, Greece, and Ethiopia.
The little girl took Teddy to Montana in October last year on a family trip. The children were left to a family friend, Terri Hayden, when Pascal went hiking in Glacier National Park with a friend. They realized they left behind Teddy when they were nearing Hayden’s residence in Bigfork that evening.
Hayden was not able to return to look for Teddy as it snowed that night and the higher park elevations were closed for the season. She reported Teddy on the park’s lost-and-found, with hopes that it can be returned to Naomi.
Fortunately, Ranger Tom Mazzarisi found Teddy while they were working for the end of the season.
“Typically, items that aren’t worth much monetarily get thrown out,” Mazzarisi said. Even though he was not aware that the teddy bear was reported at the lost-and-found, something seemed to stop him from throwing it. He kept Teddy on his patrol truck’s dash.
Addie Pascal posted a message on Facebook, asking for help to find Teddy. “He’s been by her side for so many milestones. But there are many more adventures to be had!”
Hayden’s family went to Glacier in September but was turned back due to the closure of the trail. But she kept her hopes up to see the lost teddy bear, until Hayden and her niece saw a stuffed bear at the truck of the ranger. She took a photo of it and Addie said it was indeed Teddy.
Hayden sent Naomi her special teddy bear while she left Mazzarisi a new stuffed bear he named Clover.
