It takes a village. Or maybe a newsletter?
Each month, we'll bring the best stories from parents on raising their CBC Kids. | | | BY DANNY NEVILLE | Like many kids her age, our oldest daughter has a favourite stuffie. Originally presenting as a fluffy, white lamb, gravity and adoration have taken their toll on sweet Jeffy, leaving him tattered and grey with a few bald spots and a small chip out of one eyeball.
This little creature quickly rose through the ranks of our stuffed animal kingdom like a rocket ship blasting through the stratosphere. By the time our daughter turned two, he was king of the stuffie pile, never to be usurped, although many have tried. With her arm always hooked around his scrawny, unnaturally limp neck, he is her best bedtime buddy and unofficial soulmate.
For all of these reasons, I was shocked when my husband and daughter returned home one day without him. They’d spent the morning with a friend at Winterlude in Ottawa, walking around Sparks Street and enjoying the festivities.
As they headed back to the car, our daughter looked up and asked the words that no parent ever wants to hear. “Papa, where’s Jeffy?” | | | They quickly realized that between the shoulder rides and layers of winter gear, the ice sculptures and Beaver Tails, poor Jeffy was accidentally dropped and left behind. Cue the frantic search, time-bound by an impending and oh-so-critical naptime.
When the expedition returned, down one VIP, the severity of the events hadn’t quite set in for our daughter. She kept making comments about Jeffy coming back soon, as if his scraggly, stuffed legs would carry him halfway across the city to the relative safety of our home. | | | "I decided to try the power of social media to activate our community in the search. Couldn’t hurt, right?" | | | At this point, our strategy shifted to full-fledged search and rescue. We retraced their steps, mapping out their route through downtown Ottawa from the last known sighting to the moment our little friend was reported missing.
To the chagrin of my skeptical husband, I decided to try the power of social media to activate our community in the search. Couldn’t hurt, right?
As my husband and his friend set out on their final rescue mission, I watched in awe as the likes and reposts started to pile up on my social media account. From my very modest following, it was eventually reposted a few hundred times and viewed by nearly 60,000 people. | | | More from CBC Gem, CBC Kids News and CBCKids.ca | | | | | | | Over the next hour, I received plenty of hopeful comments, best wishes and folks sharing similar experiences. And then, the miracle happened. I was tagged in a photo of a lost stuffie, head slumped to the side in typical Jeffy fashion, propped up on top of a crosswalk button. Someone must have placed him there for increased visibility, then another kind soul took a photo and posted it online.
I immediately called my husband who hustled to the intersection where he found our little Jeffy, soaking wet and dirty, but otherwise unharmed.
When our daughter awoke that afternoon, Jeffy was home, safe and sound, living his best life in the Jacuzzi (a.k.a. our washing machine). She was reunited with her bestie, thanks to the kindness of strangers who rallied together to #BringJeffyHome. | | |  | | Danny Neville is a primary educator, children’s author and editor-in-chief of The Teaching Librarian magazine. He lives in Ottawa with his husband and daughters. Watch for the release of his first chapter book series in early 2026 with Annick Press. | | | | Share this newsletter | | or subscribe if this was
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