What is it about teddy bears that make them so special? The soft, fluffy warmth brings joy and comfort to children as well as adults, offering an ear to listen to the most personal problems and a cuddly body that’s always ready for a hug. Recognizing the extraordinary love that only teddy bears can give, one little boy from Australia has set out to send that love around the world.
It all began three years ago when, at the age of 9, Campbell Remess asked his mom if they could buy Christmas presents, such as teddy bears, for the children in the local hospital. With nine children in the family, his mom, Sonya Whittaker, told him there was no way they could afford to buy gifts for sick children, reports ABC News .
“He said ‘No worries, I’ll make them then’. OK, [I said] go for gold, knock yourself out.”
Campbell set to work right away, making a half dozen toys in the first few days after founding this charity. During this creative period, he decided that making teddy bears was the best way to go. His mom says he’s made all the teddy bears himself, including the very first teddy bear.
“He brought me this pattern and said ‘Mum, I can’t work this out. Can you have a look for me?’ I’m like ‘Nah, it’s beyond me.’”
Apparently, Campbell’s desire to bring comfort to hurting children was stronger than Sonya knew. In just a few hours, the boy had made his first, one-of-a-kind teddy bear.
“He came down with this funky looking teddy bear that he’d made… it was incredible. He’s just sewn and sewn since then.”
The joy emanating from this boy’s smiling face is all it takes to see that this ministry brings Campbell as much happiness as it does to those who receive his precious teddy bears.
Twelve-year-old launches teddy bear charity from his bedroom https://t.co/SA890DYW48 via @abcnews
— Easy-Impact (@easyimpactblog) May 30, 2016
According to the Good News Network , Sonya looks back on that day as a pivotal moment in time . What might have happened, or not happened, had she refused to allow Campbell to use her sewing machine?
“Look at the last three years of experience and practice and skill he’s got. Look at what the word ‘yes’ has done.”
Fast forward three years, and Campbell, now 12-years-old, challenges himself to make, on average, one teddy bear a day. He has not stopped at sending these teddy bears to sick little children in the hospital but has expanded his cause to include frightened children in traumatic situations, such as those endured during the recent attacks in Paris.
In his own words, Campbell Remess describes his various types of teddy bears.
“I do comfort bears, which are for parents if their kids are in hospital having a hard time. I do overseas bears, like for terrorists attacks. I sent one over to Paris when the people got hurt, and I’m sending some over to Brussels too.”
Watch below as this compassionate boy puts together one of his original teddy bears.
Naming his ministry Project 365, Sonya set up a special Facebook page for her son. This led to one member, Kat, raising some money to set Campbell up with supplies. She contacted Sonya, who told her that while the boy had plenty of supplies, what he really needed was storage space.
Kat took that idea and ran with it. One day while Campbell was in school, a bevy of volunteers showed up, blessing the selfless boy with a workbench and storage.
Campbell is still going strong with his teddy bear charity. Check out the Project 365 page and take a look at some of the original teddy bears he has created.
[Image via Facebook ]
