The mystery surrounding a lost teddy bear has been solved.
Earlier this month, the Fields family of Indiana found the bear at a garage sale. They were surprised to hear it contained a recorded message to a child from a soldier in Afghanistan.
As a military family themselves, the Fields’ made it their mission to find the bear’s original owners. They posted the bear’s picture on Facebook and the story went viral.
Paige Holguin saw the posting from her office in Los Angeles. She recognized the bear as the one her late brother gave her niece more than eight years ago. He was a veteran who battled PTSD and lost the bear when he was evicted from an apartment. The bear has even more meaning to Holguin because her brother later lost his battle with his illness and took his own life.
“If you could see my hands, you’d know they’re shaking,” said Holguin. “I thought, Oh My God, I thought that was lost years ago. To find out it’s in Indiana? Who knew?”
She’s now working with the Fields family to return the stuffed animal to its home and reunite it with her niece who is now 16 years old.
