Have you seen Beary? A young SC girl just wants her home for Christmas

Nicole Rauscher just wants Beary back.

Beary is a teddy bear that was given to her at a baby shower when she was pregnant with her eldest daughter, Ari.

Ari is 10 and has slept with Beary or kept Beary very close to her bed every night since she was born. She named her Beary when she was barely able to talk.

She took Beary on vacations and to sleepovers with friends.

“It is her comfort bear,” Rauscher said.

A few weeks ago, Ari left Beary at a friend’s house. By the time she realized where she was, the friend’s mother had donated her, along with other toys in a pre-Christmas cleanout, to Goodwill.

“She was very bummed,” Rauscher said.

See, this is a special bear. She came from Build-a-Bear Workshop and tucked inside were three specially chosen crystals representing positive energy and love.

Rauscher is a massage therapist who is also a polarity therapist, which according to WebMD is “energy medicine that uses several techniques to alter energy flow and energy balance in the body.” It’s often used to combat fatigue, depression, anxiety, among other medical problems.

Beary spread positivity.

Rauscher and her daughter began the hunt to bring Beary home. They went first to the Goodwill store on Augusta Road in Greenville, searching through all the stuffed animals. Nope. They were told sometimes items are sent out to other Goodwill stores. So they went to the one on Haywood Road, a larger store.

It seemed impossible. So many bears.

“It was like looking for a needle in a haystack,” Rauscher said.

They were told items are sent from Haywood Road, too. Beary could be anywhere.

Rauscher worries the bear could have been thrown in the trash, or sent to an animal shelter and ripped apart by a playful pet.

So she turned to the Facebook page Simpsonville Residents and a few other groups.

She’s heard from a woman who promised to look. Another said mom Facebook groups are the way to go. Her daughter found a phone in a lake and within 30 minutes on Facebook found the owner.

Still another said call all the Goodwills and ask for help. Maybe they would post a message in a break room to be on the lookout.

Beary is fluffy, white with brown eyes and a heart-shaped brown nose that still shows signs of the pink Ari added.

Rauscher said she’s not super optimistic she’ll be found, but it is the holiday season and perhaps there’s some Christmas magic to be had. Let Rauscher know if you see her. Here’s a link to her Facebook page.

Her email is nr304480@gmail.com.

This story was originally published November 30, 2022 at 4:02 PM.