Daughter desperate to find sentimental teddy bears made from late father’s shirts

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - A Central Gardens resident is desperately searching for a missing package containing four priceless “Memory Bears.”

The four teddy bears were made out of shirts belonging to her late father who died earlier in the year from cancer.

They were meant to be Christmas gifts for her and her brother’s children.

“Just sending these shirts off that were my dad’s favorite shirts that still smelled like him was hard, anyway...” Bethany Horten said.

According to US Postal Service tracking, the package was delivered to her door on Nov. 28.

When Horten rushed home to check -- the delivery was nowhere to be found.

Horten checked her Ring doorbell camera to see the package be delivered but only saw her postman drop off paper mail.

A week has passed since the delivery confirmation was sent, and it’s still missing.

“I think they probably dropped it off at the wrong house somehow. I’m just really hoping someone has them sitting to the side and hasn’t opened it yet maybe,” Horten said.

Horten said she has other shirts that could potentially be used for more Memory Bears, but the sentiment behind each shirt used to make the stuffed animals can’t be replaced.

“After the funeral, [the kids] each picked the shirt that meant the most to them,” Bethany Horten told Action News 5. “They picked their most favorite shirt, with the most meaning. It can’t just be replaced.”

Horten is hopeful someone will hear her story and come forward with a location of these priceless would-be heirlooms.

“These were supposed to be the kids’ last Christmas present from their PopPop,” Horten said. “I just hope we can get it back by Christmas.”

Horten created an email address for any information about the missing package. That address is PopPopBears@Gmail.com.

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