Boy reunited with special teddy bear lost at Milwaukee airport

MILWAUKEE (WMTV/Gray News) – A boy from Texas was reunited with his long-lost teddy bear in Wisconsin.

“He’s had this bear since day one and slept with it every night. It has a lot of sentimental value to him,” his dad, David Burnett, recounted. “When we got back home he literally cried the whole flight and was still upset. So, it’s really special to him.”

This particular teddy bear is extra special because it is given to children who are born with congenital heart defects.

The stuffed animal became stuck at the Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport after 5-year-old Ezekiel tossed it into the rafters while his family was flying from Milwaukee to Texas over Thanksgiving, according to WMTV.

The airport explained that his family had to board just minutes after, leaving Ezekiel “devastated” to be without his beloved bear.

Someone found the teddy bear in January and returned it to the airport’s information desk.

The airport used social media to try to track down the owner. The post of the stuffed bear went viral on Facebook, being seen by 4 million people and shared over 12,000 times.

Two days later, word reached the family and the airport posted an update that read:

“Exciting update! We have located the owner! We couldn’t have done this without each of you and all the media who helped to spread the word!”

Recognize this face? The search for bear's owner continues! Thank you for helping us spread the word and to those who pointed out that this bear likely belongs to a kid born with CHD. How special he must be. Let's get him home! pic.twitter.com/hCZc4RhF0P
— MKE - Milwaukee Airport (@MitchellAirport) February 7, 2022

Southwest Airlines flew them from Dallas to Wisconsin to get Ezekiel’s teddy so he could bring it back home.

“We’re very honored to be a part of this special moment,” said Airport Director Brian Dranzik. “Small moments like this, along with the bigger ones, are why we support our hometown airport.”