Mom Pleads For Help After Teddy That Contains Her Son’s Ashes Goes Missing

Credit: Facebook /Liz Atkinson

A mother is pleading for help after a toy carrying her son's ashes was lost while she was on holiday in Florida.

On May 6, nurse Liz Atkinson of Iowa posted a plea on Facebook for assistance in locating a plush elephant that held significant emotional value for her.

She stated that they had taken their second son, Sebastyan, there for his birthday but that their son, Gabryel, had tragically passed away before the family could go on their trip to Disneyworld.

Credit: Facebook /Liz Atkinson

Gabryel slept every night with Bruce, a plush toy elephant that had been given to him while he was in the intensive care unit.

Liz and her husband kept the toy elephant in their bed when Gabryel passed away, and they placed some of his ashes in a pouch on the toy's back.

However, the elephant disappeared during a 12-day road trip in Florida, and despite their best attempts, the Atkinson family is unable to locate Bruce.

Liz stated on Facebook that in addition to Disney's Art of Animation resort, the family also visited Beachside Resort in Cocoa Beach, Disney Springs in Buena Vista, and the Palazzo Lakeside Hotel in Kissimmee.

Credit: Facebook /Liz Atkinson

Bruce the elephant was lost from the family's luggage somewhere along the trip, and even after going back over their route, they have not been able to locate him.

The family has made calls and filled out lost and found the paperwork, but the elephant carrying some of their son's ashes is still missing.

When they returned from their vacation and started unpacking, Liz said in her blog post, that's when she realized Bruce was gone; up until that point, she attributed their inability to find him to the mess that builds up while traveling.

The original post was posted on May 6, a few days after the family had returned from their vacation. 

Credit: Facebook /Liz Atkinson

In a subsequent update, Liz said that Bruce had at least made it to Disney Springs with them, proving that the elephant toy was not at Cocoa Beach.

She is hoping that someone with knowledge or who may have just noticed the toy can get in touch with her and assist in reuniting the family with their son's ashes.

The elephant, according to Liz, either vanished on the "orange parking ramp" at Disney Springs, was misplaced "somewhere at the Palazzo," or got mixed up in bedding that was changed by housekeeping.

The Atkinsons would be quite grateful if the toy elephant was returned to them; he must be somewhere in the world.

Credit: Facebook /Liz Atkinson

Many people have been searching the holiday destinations the Atkinsons visited since the post was made in an effort to locate the toy elephant and give him back to Liz.

More than 11,000 people have shared Atkinson's Facebook post, and, according to the mom, volunteers are looking for Bruce in Florida and have pinned pictures of him all throughout the town.

"People I have never met have spent so much time helping — they've spent hours searching," says Atkinson. "There are not enough 'thank yous' for everyone."