Build-A-Bear replaced a 4-year-old girl's bear that had a recording of her dead mother's heartbeat inside it after it was accidentally donated to charity

• A family accidentally donated a 4-year-old girl's bear with a recording of her dead mom's heartbeat.
• Build-A-Bear replaced the bear with the recording after hearing about the story, WVLT reported.

Build-a-Bear gave a 4-year-old girl who lost her bear that had a recording of her dead mother's heartbeat inside it a replacement bear.

The girl's father, Tylor Kennedy, of Knoxville, Tennessee, said the bear was accidentally donated to a Goodwill store in Tazewell, Tennessee, around 45 miles north, WATE reported.

Kennedy pleaded for help from the public to return the stuffed bear for weeks after it was donated in early April.

"Please, if y'all find it or see anybody that has one, just check or turn it in and I believe that somebody will get a reward if they dropped it off," Kennedy told the station in April. "I mean I know they'll get their money back for sure."

A Build-A-Bear spokesperson told Insider that the company reached out to a local radio station, which put them in touch with the family.

The family still had the original recording of the girl's mother's heartbeat, so the toy store found a matching "Rainbow Sparkle Bear" and added the recording to it, the statement said.

"Build-A-Bear would like to thank WRIL and Goodwill for their helpful role and while we remain hopeful that the original bear is located, it is our sincere wish that this new teddy bear will provide a bit of comfort for the child and the family at this time," the statement said.

Build-A-Bear stuffed animals with recorded sounds of loved ones are often given as memorial gifts.

Nurses at a Texas hospital gave Build-A-Bears to three children of a woman who died from COVID-19 containing a recording of their mother's heartbeat in 2021, KSAT reported.