Derbyshire mum's TWO-YEAR search for teddy bear lost by 'heartbroken' son with autism

Kalen Attenborough was inconsolable when he lost his favourite cuddly toy, a green bear named Eddie, in May 2019.

The eight-year-old from Staveley has severe autism, meaning the loss of his beloved companion hit him particularly hard, and he still struggles to sleep without Eddie by his side.

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That’s why Kalen’s devoted mother Sandra is refusing to call off the search all these months later and his issued a desperate appeal for any information.

“Eddie was given to Kalen when he was a baby, and he carried it with him every second of every day,” she said.

”With Kalen having special needs, it was like Eddie was his best friend. He has separation anxiety and, although it sounds daft, to him it’s like he’s lost a family member.

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"Kalen’s heartbroken. He cried for days after Eddie went missing, he still tells me every day how much he misses him, and he cries when it’s time to go to bed without Eddie. To him, it still feels like this happened yesterday.

"I’ve tried numerous Facebook posts without any luck. People just tell me to buy a new one but it’s impossible to find the same bear and even if I could Kalen would know straight away that it’s not the real Eddie.

"It would mean everything to us if we could find Eddie and have Kalen settled again. If your child has Eddie and you can convince them to part with him that would be amazing, or even if you found Eddie and threw him away I’d like to know.”

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As well as his distinctive colour, Eddie has his left arm sewn to his ear and was already quite badly worn before he disappeared.

Sandra believes Eddie may have been lost at the Healthy Living Centre or in Poolsbrook Country Park, both of which she and Kalen visited on the day the teddy went missing, but extensive searches have proved fruitless.

If you have any information regarding Eddie’s whereabouts, please email [email protected].