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A little girl who lost a special teddy bear that she's had since being adopted from an Ethiopian orphanage thought it was gone forever when she forgot it along a trail in Glacier National Park last year. There was still a shimmer or hope and hope won!
According to Huffington Post a social media plea, the sharp eyes and soft heart of a park ranger, and the closure of a hiking trail because of grizzly bear activity on the same day a family friend visited the park, helped reunite the girl with her bear.
6-year old Naomi Pascal got her bear returned to her.
"It's just a story of hope and kindness and people just working together. It touched people's hearts. It gave em hope. It made em feel good in the world, which I believe there is." said Ben Pascal, Naomi's father.
Teddy was the first gift Ben and Addie Pascal gave Naomi before she was adopted and that bear went everywhere with her, including Glacier National Park. They were almost back to Hayden's home in Bigfork when they realized they didn't have the bear. It snowed overnight , closing the higher elevations of the park for the season and preventing them from getting Teddy. They made a report to park officials, hoping someone might turn in the bear to a lost-and-found.
Addie made a Facebook post pleading for help finding Teddy sating "He's been by her side for so many milestones. But there's so many more adventures to be had."
The post got a lot of support. Family friend Terry Hayden was at the park one day when she spotted the bear in a rangers car. The ranger was off and the car was locked but Hayden made sure to get the bear back in the right hands. They knew about the bear and confirmed where it had been found and soon returned Teddy to Hayden along with a junior park ranger badge and a ranger hat.
Naomi was really excited when she got the Teddy back.