Sometimes we have good news.
It all started when a little girl name Naomi lost her favorite teddy bear last year along a trail in Glacier National Park in Montana.
Naomi had had this bear since she was adopted from an Ethiopian orphanage in 2016. It was the first gift from her new adoptive parents, Ben and Addie Pascal. Ben is the senior pastor at the Presbyterian Church of Jackson Hole.
Naomi took this bear everywhere she went, even when the family traveled to Ethiopia, Rwanda, Croatia, and Greece.
Which is exactly how it ended up lost in Glacier National Park.
The family went to Montana in October 2020, but after a hike they realized Teddy was missing. It snowed overnight, which forced some of the parts of the park to close for the season.
This little girl must have thought she would never see her teddy again. 🥺
A report was made to park officials.
All hands on deck! Send a search crew! Helicopters, medics! Go, go, go!
Well... not really. BUT eventually, Ranger Tom Mazzarisi came to the rescue – an actual bear specialist in Glacier – when he spotted a soaking wet teddy bear in melting snow near the Hidden Lake Trail.
"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 [sic]," Ranger Mazzarisi said.
Glacier National Park / Facebook
In June, Addie Pascal posted on Facebook, pleading for help finding Teddy.
Can anyone help us find Teddy? Our daughter Naomi lost him on the Hidden Lake trail in #glaciernationalpark last Fall. Probably a half mile from the visitor center, possibly under a rocky outcropping.
Teddy is so special- he traveled from Wyoming to Florida and on to Ethiopia with dear friends to meet her ahead of her parents. He kept her company until she could come home for good.
Since then he's gone everywhere with her: camping adventures, hiking shenanigans, beach trips. He's played in the desert sand and cuddled up on snowy days. He has snuggled her to sleep almost every night. He was her constant companion on our journey back to Ethiopia, as well as Rwanda, Croatia, Greece, and all over the West. He's been by her side for so many milestones. But there are many more adventures to be had!
If you happen to hike Hidden Lake this summer, or know someone who does, please keep an eye out for Teddy. There would be no greater joy than to re-unite our daughter with her very special furry friend," the Facebook post read.
Terri Hayden, a friend of the family, felt so bad about the lost bear that she went back out to Glacier in late September.
Hayden actually spotted the teddy bear in a ranger's truck. After sending a picture to the Pascal family, they confirmed she had found the teddy.
The bear was quickly shipped to Naomi, who was overjoyed to have it returned.
There are a lot of lost teddy bear stories, but spending a winter in Glacier National Park might be the craziest one!
