This is the adorable moment a 10-year-old girl burst into tears after being reunited with her lost teddy that she accidentally left behind while on holiday in the USA.
Millie McAlpine had accidentally left her beloved teddy ‘Special Dog’ in the hotel room during a family holiday holiday with mum Lucy, 41, dad Neil, 51, and sister Sophie, 14.
They were enjoying a two-week holiday in Orlando when Special Dog was left behind in the Hard Rock hotel in Universal Studios.
On the plane home, Millie relised Special Dog was no where to be seen until the hotel sent back her teddy ‘Special Dog’ after two weeks of sleepless nights.
Mum Lucy, from Felixstowe, Suffolk, explained: “We were on the plane back home when Millie said: ‘Mummy I wish I had Special Dog.’
“We rang the hotel as soon as we could and spoke to them right up until we had to put our phones away but they said they couldn’t find him. We were completely in their hands.
“I knew exactly what happened. When we were leaving Millie was tired and didn’t want to get out of bed so she got dressed in bed and obviously just left Special Dog there.
“We had the whole day to remember but we just didn’t!”
After an emotional nine-hour flight, Millie returned home- without her favourite teddy.
Her parents said their daughter was “beside herself” without her teddy and rebuffed all attempts to buy her a new one.
Lucy said: “She’s had Special Dog since she was born and slept with him every night.
“Millie takes him everywhere- on holiday, to sleepover and school trips. There’s no way she could be without him.”
Friends and family tried to cheer Millie up with some brand new toys- but Millie just wanted her Special Dog.
Lucy added: “We were really concerned at how we were going to get through it. Family would come round with new teddies but nothing fitted the same, nothing was quite the same although she was very grateful.
“We tried to find a replacement for Special Dog and thought about pretending it was Special Dog but we just knew that she would notice.”
The family’s hopes began to wane after two weeks had passed with no sign of Special Dog.
However, out of the blue, the family got the news that after frantic searching, the hotel had found Special Dog and would fly him home.
Days later a package arrived addressed to Millie and as she opened a Hard Rock cafe lunchbox discovered it was Special Dog and burst into tears.
“Out of the blue we got an email from the hotel saying they had found him! We weren’t entirely sure it was him but they sent through photos and we just knew.
“When she opened it she just burst into tears, it was a lovely moment. I think she was a bit overwhelmed with emotion but she was just so happy!”
Along with Special Dog, the hotel had sent over some gifts including souvenirs, a scarf and some photos of her teddy lounging by a water fountain and playing a guitar.
Lucy added: “We thought that Special Dog was lost forever but the hotel really went above and beyond to bring him home and they took some lovely photos of Special Dog enjoying his holiday!
“We couldn’t thank them enough for getting our girl smiling again!”