SUPERTED!

A 12-year-old has given 114 forgotten stuffed animals a second chance.

Twelve-year-old Sadie Hutson sees something rather different when she spots an old teddy bear with a torn seam or a little too much stuffing missing.

She sees a patient in need of repair — and a chance to make another child’s day a little brighter.

Sadie, from Dobson, North Carolina, has been rescuing worn and damaged stuffed animals from thrift stores with her mother before taking them home for some serious teddy-bear surgery.

The toys are washed, repaired, restuffed and carefully restored by hand, ready to begin a second life with a new owner.

But this isn’t simply about saving old toys.

Earlier this year, the American Red Cross found its supplies of stuffed animals running low after responding to an increase in home fires involving families with children.

For a child caught up in a house fire or another disaster, the loss can extend far beyond bricks, furniture and possessions. Familiar toys and treasured belongings can disappear too, just when something comforting and familiar may matter most.

That is why Red Cross disaster volunteers often carry stuffed animals when responding to emergencies.

When Disaster Program Specialist Jon McCollum asked the local community for help replenishing those supplies, Sadie answered in spectacular fashion.

She arrived with 114 restored stuffed animals.

Bears, rabbits and assorted furry companions that might otherwise have remained forgotten on thrift-store shelves had been given another chance — and were now ready to comfort children facing some of the most frightening days of their lives.

“Hearing the stories was a little heartbreaking,” Sadie told the American Red Cross. “That’s why I did it.”

McCollum, who spent more than two decades working in fire and emergency medical services before joining the Red Cross, knows how easily the needs of children can be overshadowed in the immediate aftermath of a disaster.

“A lot of times children get overlooked in the initial stages of a disaster,” he said. “We want to make sure they are taken care of immediately as well.”

Sadie’s work was recently recognised by Red Cross volunteers at the Central Surry Volunteer Fire Department, where she was presented with a Certificate of Appreciation.

But the recognition was never the reason she started.

In fact, Sadie was initially reluctant to have her story told at all. She eventually agreed in the hope that other young people might realise that they, too, can make a difference in their communities.

And she hasn’t finished.

What began as a mother-and-daughter project is continuing, with more forgotten stuffed animals being rescued, repaired and prepared for children who need something to hold onto.

One old teddy gets a second chance.

And somewhere down the line, so does a little bit of comfort.