6-Year-Old Reunited With Stuffed Bear A Year After Losing It In Glacier National Park

Nov 19, 2021

Growing up, it’s common for children to cling to a toy or something that brings them comfort. They’ll go anywhere and everywhere with their favorite blanket or teddy bear, almost as if it’s an extension of themselves. It’s a sweet gesture that shows how much the child truly cares for their sentimental item, and it’s also incredibly adorable to witness them loving something so dearly.

For a 6-year-old named Naomi Pascal, her teddy bear was her most prized possession. It meant everything to her. Her adoptive parents, Ben and Addie Pascal, had given her the bear while she was still in an orphanage in Ethiopia as a gift. It was a way to let Naomi know that she was loved and in good company until she was finally able to come home with Ben and Addie. The sweet teddy bear has been by the little girl’s side ever since.

In October 2020, the family visited Glacier National Park in Montana to explore the trails together. Naomi of course brought her trusty sidekick — her teddy bear — to come on the fun adventure with the family. Unfortunately, something went terribly wrong and Naomi ended up losing her favorite stuffed animal somewhere along one of the trails. It was heartbreaking.

The family worked tirelessly to find the bear or a replacement for it, not knowing that the bear had already been found by park rangers. In October 2021, after an entire year of missing her sweet teddy bear, Naomi was finally reunited with her stuffed animal friend.

For 6-year-old Naomi, her teddy bear was her entire world. According to Times Now News, she had been given the bear when she was still in an orphanage in Ethiopia as she and her adoptive parents counted down the days until she could finally go home with them. Ben and Addie explained that the bear “kept her company until she could come home for good,” according to a Facebook post from Glacier National Park.

Naomi and her teddy bear had been inseparable ever since, and they have traveled around the world on many adventures together. One of those adventures was going on a trip to Glacier National Park in Montana in October 2020. Unfortunately, the day did not go as planned, and Naomi ended up losing her favorite stuffed animal on the Hidden Lake Trail at the national park. According to Times Now News, the little girl worried that her bear would be lost forever, but her family never lost hope.

The family reported that the bear was lost. In June 2021, Addie put up a social media post asking for help finding the bear and if anyone had insights on replacement teddy bears. However, Naomi’s teddy bear had actually been found — the family just didn’t know it yet.

While park rangers were conducting their post-season clean-up, they found a small, wet teddy bear buried in the snow. According to a Glacier National Park Facebook post, the rangers would normally have thrown the toy away since it was in such bad condition, but ranger Tom Mazzarisi couldn’t seem to part ways with it.

While it’s common for park rangers to see bears around the park, they weren’t expecting to find one so small and cuddly. Mazzarisi explained, “Bears are my passion. I just didn’t have the heart to throw it away. There was something special about this teddy bear, so I adopted him and named him Ceasar.” The teddy bear became the mascot for Mazzarisi’s patrol car, helping the ranger keep the public and wildlife safe for a year.

In September 2021, a friend of the Pascal family named Terri Hayden visited the national park and noticed the bear sitting in the patrol car, as per Times Now News. Addie confirmed that it was her daughter’s missing toy, but since the car was locked, Hayden just left a note on the car. 

Once other rangers found the note, they managed to track down the keys to the car and gave the bear to Hayden with a park ranger hat and badge, too. Hayden happily sent the bear back to Naomi and even bought Mazzarisi a replacement bear named Clover, as per Times Now News.

A Facebook post from Glacier National Park stated that Naomi was finally reunited with her teddy bear on Oct. 6, 2021. It was a long year without her friend, and she was so happy to finally have the bear back home with her. Speaking with WNCT, the little girl explained just how much it meant to get her toy back. “I felt excited because I didn’t know I was gonna ever see him again,” Naomi said.

What did you think about this heartwarming story? Did you have a favorite toy or stuffed animal growing up? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to your family and friends, too.