Ryan Reynolds offers $5,000 reward for return of Vancouver woman's stolen teddy bear

Ryan Reynolds wants to make sure a beloved teddy bear comes home to a Vancouver woman, so much so that he is offering a reward.

The Deadpool star, 43, noticed a news story posted by CBC TV from his native Canada about Mara Soriano, whose black backpack was stolen during a recent move that contained the stuffed bear along with important documents, an iPad, and a Nintendo Switch.

Soriano doesn't care if she never sees the electronics again, it's the bear that holds a special place in her heart because it features her mom's voice who died last June after losing her battle with cancer. She was 53.

"Vancouver: $5,000 to anyone who returns this bear to Mara. Zero questions asked. I think we all need this bear to come home," the father of three posted via Twitter.

Soriano explains that her mom's voice changed and became softer after being admitted to hospice care. The audio recording that was custom built into the Build-a-Bear was the last recording she had of her mom before that change.

"She said that she loved me and she was proud of me and that she'll always be with me," she told the outlet.

Reynolds' selfless gesture has encouraged fans to offer to match or add to his donation, with others donating to her organization of choice — Sunnybrook Hospice, who took care of her mom during her final days. Canadian chat show host George Strombolupolus and director Rawson Thurber added $5,000 to the pot each. Other major celebrities amplifying her story on social media include Dan Levy, Zach Braff, and PJ Byrne.

Not only is the voice component of the bear important, but also because it reminds Soriano of home.

A male was captured on a security video by a local restaurant owner that shows him looking around to make sure nobody was around before seemingly grabbing the bag and leaving the scene.

If anyone has information about the whereabouts of this very special bear, you are asked to email Soriano at [email protected].

This Story Originally Appeared On ew

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