AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (WXYZ) — An Auburn Hills mother picked up a dirty stuffed animal from a busy intersection, gave it a full cleaning, and turned to social media — where thousands have rallied to help reunite the bear with its owner.
Watch Jeffrey Lindblom's video report:
Kolleen Miller was driving near Joslyn and Brown in Auburn Hills when she spotted a stuffed animal on the ground.
"Noticed it was a kind of shiny little dress," Miller said.
She turned around, retrieved the bear from among the trash and traffic, and brought it home.
The toy turned out to be a Build-A-Bear — greasy and grimy from the road. Miller gave it what she described as a full spa day, including a scrub-down with Dawn dish soap.
"It cut through the grease!" Miller said.
After drying it off, she documented the bear's journey on social media, sharing the story of where it was found and its path to being cleaned up. The post spread quickly.
"The comments and compliments that people made were so sweet. It was nice of people to be there with me," Miller said.
Miller said her 15-year-old child, Kas, was the inspiration behind the good deed. Kas has had a stuffed Eeyore for 14 years — a companion Kas describes as far more than a toy.
"He knows all my secrets," Kas said. "He's a lot more than a stuffed animal. He is family."
When Miller saw the bear on the road, she said her first thought was of Kas.
"Right away I was thinking about how when she couldn't find her favorite," Miller said.
Kas acknowledged the emotional weight of losing a beloved stuffed animal.
"Devastated. I know I'm 15 and it's not mature or whatever," Kas said.
The sentiment runs in the family. Miller's mother, Kathleen Fisk, said she is proud of her daughter's act of kindness.
"It's a little bright spark," Fisk said. "If somehow they can get this bear back to the person… it would be a good feeling for everyone."
Miller herself still has her own childhood stuffed animal — a little yellow bunny.
"She's been this way all her life," Fisk said.
If you know who the teddy bear belongs to, you can email jeffrey.lindblom@wxyz.com to help get it returned to its owner.
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