kindness
Vancouver's 'Teddy Bear Doctor' Stitches Together More Than Just Plushies, but Memories Too
A retiree lovingly repairs beloved stuffed animals from a 115-year-old bear to Spongebob, and is training a successor.
Ruth Hasman has repaired hundreds of stuffed animals over the years since she retired.
Whether it was an overzealous child, a close encounter with a dog, or just too much loving, there’s no damage she can’t fix.
From a mass-produced Spongebob Squarepants to a 115-year-old, hand-sewn bear cuddled through 5 generations, Hasman says her favorite part of her work is the stories behind each toy.
She’s made every kind of repair on a stuffed animal you can think of, from reattaching eyes, limbs, and heads, to ‘fur grafts,’ to stitch-ups, stuffing transplants, and even voice box repair.
If she doesn’t have the material on hand—because it’s the wrong texture or color, she will scour local thrift shops until she finds a “donor.”
“I learn something new almost every time I fix one,” she told CBC News’ Michelle Gomez. “It’s a pleasure talking to the people, finding out the history of the bears. There’s a lot of poignant stories.”
It’s not uncommon for Hasman to repair a bear and receive a thank-you card from its owner, a gesture that makes all the needlework worth it.
CBC says she’s currently training an orderly to take over the work when her fingers have lost their dexterity, but for now she’s going to keep the operating theater open, since the stories behind each and every bear, dog, monkey, and elephant just “pulls her heart.”
WATCH the story below from CBC…
You must be logged in to post a comment.