But for the 28-year-old Vancouver resident, the bear was not just a forgotten object. He carried a message: the final voice of his dying mother recording it.
Last week, in the midst of a hectic movement, the bear, packed in a bag with other valuables, was stolen from outside the U-Haul Soriano and his fiancé had rented it to pack his belongings.
“It was very important to me because I had a recording that was specifically for me that said he loved me, was proud of me and will always be with me,” Soriano told CNN. “I hugged him every time I missed her.”
Now Soriano is looking for the bear, and others, including a handful of celebrities, are trying to help.
The bear’s last whereabouts
Soriano’s mother, Marilyn Soriano, died on June 29, 2019, after battling cancer. She was 53 years old. Soriano said her mother gave her the bear, which includes a recorded voice message, shortly before her death. The bear also wears black rimmed glasses just like her mother.
“It was his characteristic appearance,” Soriano said.
The bear was in a bag with other important items, including passports, citizenship documentation, insurance cards, an iPad, and a Nintendo Switch.
On Friday, when Soriano was moving to a new place with his fiance in Vancouver, he left the bag in a hurry.
One of her friends who was on her way to help them unload the truck had suffered a bicycle accident.
“I left everything next to the U-Haul and tried to get to my friend as quickly as possible,” said Soriano. “In my rush, I forgot to tell my fiancé that I put the bag in the front of the U-Haul, he immediately started unloading the back of it, so I didn’t even know it was in the front.”
Fortunately, Soriano said that her friend was able to get to the hospital and she is fine. But back in the new apartment, her bag was nowhere to be seen.
After reviewing the security images, he said, they saw that someone had grabbed the bag and was gone in a matter of minutes.
Search efforts
It even caught the eye of actor Ryan Reynolds, who offered a $ 5,000 reward for the bear’s return.
“Vancouver: $ 5,000 for anyone who returns this bear to Mara,” Reynolds tweeted Saturday. “Zero questions asked. I think we all need this bear to get home.”
On Sunday, Soriano walked the streets of the area posting posters with the bear in the hope that someone would present information.
She said she received some leads, but the bear had not yet been found until Sunday morning.
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