WHEN Durban North resident Claire Metz recently turned to the Durban North Neighbours Facebook page to try and find a new home for her Teddy bear, Charlie, she could not have foreseen the impact her small donation would have.
Metz, who is in the process of moving to Germany with her husband, Alex, said she shared the post on the social media platform hoping to find him a loving new owner.
“I have had to cut down on so many of my belongings, and I did not just want to throw him away, as he held some sentimental value. He came as a gift when we bought my wedding ring. I knew there was someone out there who could give him a loving home,” said the 28-year-old.
Several residents offered to home Charlie, but ultimately Metz decided to give him to Redhill resident, Presheen Ramdhani. The 50 year-old retired teacher, in turn wished to pass him on to nine-year-old Angela Poulton.
Poulton whose mother recently passed away said she had never had a teddy bear and was ecstatic to be Charlie’s new owner.
“I love him,” she said hugging her bear tightly. “I like that he is brown and shiny,” she added.
Speaking to the Northglen News, Ramdhani explained that she had recently been helping the little girl and her two brothers with homework in the afternoons, and quickly learned that they lost their mother when Poulton was just five years old. The siblings currently live in a one-bedroom house in Redhill with their cousin and aunt, who is a domestic worker. Every day the Grade 3 Columbia Primary School pupil walks nearly five kilometres to school.
“When I read about Charlie I knew the two would be a perfect fit,” said Ramdhani, who is also a volunteer for the non-profit organisation, Phoenix Animal Care and Treatment (PACT).
Metz, who is a qualified advanced life support paramedic, said she never expected that Charlie would have such a big impact on someone’s life.
“I am so happy that Charlie found his way to someone so deserving. It is a great feeling knowing that we were able to make a difference in someone else’s life,” she said.
Commenting on Facebook, fellow Durban North resident, Andrea Ording-Jespersen wrote “How precious! A companion every child needs”.
