Mama Bear is home! Viral hunt for stolen teddy bear in B.C. comes to an end

BREAK OUT THE @AviationGin, @VancityReynolds!!! MAMABEAR IS HOME!!! #FOUNDMARASBEAR pic.twitter.com/9yxTsiKWYd

— mara soriano | FIND MAMABEAR VANCOUVER (@drawmaradraw) July 29, 2020

Some things in our life are just irreplaceable no matter how simple an object is for others. That’s why for storyboard artist, Mara Soriano, to have her custom made teddy bear returned to her has brought her all the joy in the world. Mama Bear is home!

Mara, a 28-year-old Filipina based in Vancouver, Canada had her backpack stolen on Friday, July 24. She was moving to her new apartment in West End when she had to put the bag down for a while to answer an important call. That was when the theft happened.

While the backpack contained her iPad and passport, what really made the loss painful is that her “Mama Bear” was inside it. The special teddy bear is dressed in a white jacket, a red floral dress, and a pair of oversized glasses, just like her late mother who passed away from cancer last year. But more than the appearance, the bear has a voice recording inside with her mother’s voice saying the words “No matter where you are, a part of me will always be with you forever. I love you.”

This is my favourite picture of my mom from the first and only time she visited me in Vancouver. She was such a silly, goofy lady who loved to laugh. I so wish I could tell her the whole world is rooting for us. I miss you so much Mama. pic.twitter.com/5UY0h2hxrQ

— mara soriano | FIND MAMABEAR VANCOUVER (@drawmaradraw) July 27, 2020

“It’s the last thing I have that sounds like the mom I grew up with,” a tearful Mara said in an interview with CTV News, explaining that her mother’s cancer affected her voice in her later years.

This is why Mara was determined to get her bear back, even up to the point of hanging posters, distributing flyers, and manually searching dumpsters downtown.

But it was online where her search went viral, even getting international attention, after Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds quote retweeted her hunt, saying, “Vancouver: $5,000 to anyone who returns this bear to Mara. Zero questions asked. I think we all need this bear to come home.”

Vancouver: $5,000 to anyone who returns this bear to Mara. Zero questions asked. I think we all need this bear to come home. https://t.co/L4teoxoY50

— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) July 25, 2020

After Ryan’s tweet, other celebrities also joined in sharing the post and the online community started following her story in hopes of having her Mama Bear come back home.

And so finally, the good news came that Mara is reunited with Mama Bear.

“MAMA BEAR IS HOME!” she announced on Twitter, with a photo of her with the biggest smile returned to her as well.

“NOT A SINGLE SCRATCH ON HER! Two kind samaritans returned her to us in a safe space, voice is there, just no glasses!!” Mara also shared.