RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS

From donating a kidney to writing letters to seniors, these incredible Canadians made a difference

- Sarah Liss AND Christina Palassio

The Good Samaritans Who Found a Stolen Teddy Bear

VANCOUVER

When 29-year-old storyboard artist Mara Soriano thinks of her mother, Marilyn, she remembers her singing. “She loved karaoke and cheesy ’80s songs,” Soriano says. “She sang all the time.” In late 2017, before cancer robbed Soriano’s mom of her voice, she recorded a message in English and Tagalog and preserved it inside a Build-a-Bear: “You make Mommy so proud. No matter where you are, a part of me will always be with you. I love you to infinity and beyond.”

After her mother’s death in 2019 at age 53, that teddy bear became Soriano’s most priceless possession. When it went missing during a move last July—tucked in a backpack that got stolen in the chaos of unloading the U-Haul van—Soriano was devastated. She spent that night frantically rifling through dumpsters and scouring alleys in downtown Vancouver. When her efforts proved fruitless, she took her hunt to the Internet, sharing photos of her lost Mamabear on Reddit and Instagram, and security footage on Twitter. A local CBC reporter picked up the story, and the news made it all the way to a high-profile Vancouverite: actor Ryan Reynolds, who encouraged his 17 million-plus Twitter followers to help Soriano, offering a $5,000 reward for the keepsake’s safe return.

Amazingly, Mamabear made it back to Soriano’s arms four days later, ferried by some good Samaritans who recognized the thief from security footage Soriano had shared on social media. Soriano was ecstatic: “I feel like losing that bear and getting it back was just my mom telling me, ‘The world is okay, kid. You’re going to be fine. I will always be with you.’”