Lost Teddy Bear Reunited With 5-Year-Old Boy At Milwaukee Airport

MILWAUKEE, WI — A 5-year-old boy was reunited with his lost stuffed bear at the Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport Tuesday after he lost it in the airport in January.

Ezekiel Burnett said at a news conference that he was "so happy" to find the bear, which he named "Original Teddy."

Burnett's father, David, thanked the millions of people who shared photos of the teddy bear on social media. "My wife jumped out of her chair like we won the lottery whenever she saw the video of the bear on the internet," he said.

"Original Teddy" is the same type of bear given to children born with congenital heart defects, and David said the bear's online presence raised awareness for CHD. "We are so blessed that we were able to generate that kind of awareness," he said.

"My wife was sitting there and a friend of hers shared it to her via Facebook," David said at a news conference. "She was on her phone and she jumped up. She couldn't speak, and I looked at it and said that's his bear, without a doubt."

David said the bear was lost when Ezekiel tossed it into the rafters in the concourse, and they had to leave it behind.

Pictures of the bear, which the airport temporarily called "Teddy," made the rounds on Facebook on Feb. 7. The bear was seen hanging out in the concourse, inside of airplanes and around "Violet," the airport's longest-lost stuffed animal.

See Also: Lost 'Teddy' Bear Found By Family At Milwaukee Airport

Lost since Jan. 4, the bear had signs that it was fraying and well-loved when the airport found it, officials said.