Kind Team Reunites Little Boy With his Precious Teddy Bear
Airports can get pretty busy, loud and full of people. That’s what the Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport was like on January 4th for little Ezekiel and his family. The five year old boy was traveling back home to Dallas with his parents, David and Jessica Burret and his three year old sister Zaria, when his beloved teddy got lost. Ezekiel and his family returned home without the precious toy teddy, and what happened next is nothing short of a miracle!
During the weeks after their trip, the Burret parents did their best to console their son and his concerned sister. The five-year-old missed his teddy bear, but was okay with choosing a different stuffed animal to sleep with at night. Jessica told The Washington Post that she felt a bit guilty about the whole thing, so she bought her son a similar bear online. Things were getting back to normal.
On the evening of February eighth, while scrolling through her Facebook feed, Jessica noticed an image of something familiar. She took a second look and was shocked to see a picture of Ezekiel’s Teddy!
The power of social media
Teddy had made it to the airport’s Lost & Found. The airport’s workers had noticed Teddy and posted about him a few times on the airport’s Facebook page. Airport workers sometimes have fun posting about stuffed animals and toys they’ve found, at times in amusing and funny ways, in the hopes of reuniting the lost toys with their owners. And these social media campaigns have lots of success stories, including Teddy’s.
Teddy’s posts went viral on numerous platforms, including Facebook, TikTok and Twitter with more than four million views worldwide. That’s a lot of views! People know how important toys are to children, and they wanted the bear’s owner reunited with his fluffy friend. They definitely got what they asked for!
A “beary” special reunion
The Milwaukee airport decided to go all out to make it happen. They were invested in the story, wanted to see a happy ending and to give Ezekiel his friend back. It was also a great marketing opportunity for the airport, as oftentimes, negative stories involving airports, lost luggage and airline complaints gain sympathy from the public. So on Valentine’s Day, the boy and his dad boarded a Southwest Airlines flight to bring Teddy back home.
The airport ensured the reunion would be unforgettable: The boy and his dad were greeted by airline workers with a huge sign, posters and balloons. They stayed at a hotel, went to a basketball game and then had a press conference where they had, as the airline called it, a “beary” special reunion. Most importantly, Teddy made it home safe and sound and now shares Ezekiel’s bed with the other stuffed animals. He’s exactly where he is meant to be.
