Ryan Reynolds Helps Woman Find Stolen Teddy Containing Voice Recording of Her Late Mother

When a Vancouver-based woman named Mara Soriano was moving apartments earlier this month, her bag full of valuables was unfortunately stolen. Her iPad and Nintendo Switch were inside, but the most important item in the bag wasn’t of monetary value. The bag also contained a very special Build-a-Bear containing a voice box with a recorded message from her mom, Marilyn Soriano, who died of cancer in June 2019, at the age of 53.

The teddy bear’s message was recorded by Marilyn shortly before she moved into a hospice. “At the hospice her voice was different. Much softer. Not the mum I grew up with,” reveals Mara. “That bear is the last memory I have of her speaking in her normal voice.” Mara was born in the Philippines and moved to Toronto when she was nine, so her mom’s message was recorded in Filipino. Mara explains, “It says ‘I love you,’ but in our language. So it's very specific and very unique.”

Understandably, Mara was desperate to get the irreplaceable bear back, and began searching the entire city. There was even a #FindMarasBear hashtag started on social media, and countless people got involved in the search—including actor Ryan Reynolds. He offered a cash reward to anyone who helped find Mara's teddy bear. “Vancouver: $5,000 to anyone who returns this bear to Mara. Zero questions asked,” the actor wrote on Twitter. “I think we all need this bear to come home.”

Amazingly, the bribe worked! After taking it from the original thief, two men brought the bear to the CBC lobby, where Maya and reporter Deborah Goble (who was also helping search for the bear) were waiting. Now safely back in Maya’s arms, the delighted woman tweeted, “MAMABEAR IS HOME!!” Reynolds also announced the good news on Twitter: “Thank you everyone who searched high and low. To the person who took the bear, thanks for keeping it safe. Vancouver is awesome. #FoundMarasBear.”

When Mara Soriano was moving apartments, her irreplaceable teddy bear with a recorded message from her late mother was unfortunately stolen.

When actor Ryan Reynolds heard the news, he decided to help by offering a cash reward.

It worked! After taking it from the original thief, two men brought the bear back to safety.

Ryan Reynolds: Instagram | Twitter
h/t: [LADbible]

All images via Mara Soriano.

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Emma Taggart

Emma Taggart is a Contributing Writer at My Modern Met. Originally from Northern Ireland, she is an artist now based in Berlin. After graduating with a BA in Fashion and Textile Design in 2013, Emma decided to combine her love of art with her passion for writing. Emma has contributed to various art and culture publications, with an aim to promote and share the work of inspiring modern creatives. While she writes every day, she’s also devoted to her own creative outlet—Emma hand-draws illustrations and is currently learning 2D animation.
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