After a four-day disappearance that caught the attention of locals, celebrities and international media craving a happy ending, a teddy bear with a dying mother’s final message to her daughter has been safely returned to its owner.
Mara Soriano said two strangers found the stolen, plush toy, which contains an audio recording her mother made before she died of cancer last year, and brought it back to her late Tuesday.
The custom Build-A-Bear, which she named Mama Bear, was in “perfect condition” aside from missing its signature square glasses. “She’s home,” said a beaming Soriano, 28. “I didn’t think she would come back, but she did.”
Soriano squeezed the bear’s paw, heard the sound of her mother’s voice and cried.
“Mama Bear’s home,” she said.
