Woman Goes Viral for Recreating Sister's Lost Childhood Teddy Bear for Her Baby Shower: 'So Thoughtful' (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo:Colleen Horstmann

Colleen Horstmann

One woman is showing love for her sister in abearybig way.

“I had an eBay alert set for ‘White Floral Nineties Bear’ for probably two years before I even knew Colleen was pregnant because I had this idea that it would be so cool to find her childhood bear that got lost when she was young,” Wilson, 30, tells PEOPLE.

But, after realizing she couldn’t find the exact bear online, Wilson decided to just make it herself —and herTikTokdocumenting the sweet surprise went viral, getting over 14 million views.

“I had just set my mind to it,” Wilson says. “But I never expected it to blow up the way it did.”

Before deciding to just make her the bear herself, Wilson says she actually got close to finding the perfect one online.

“I found a bear with such a similar face, but the outfit wasn’t the right one," Wilson explains, “so I just decided I will find fabric that looks similar and I will learn how to make bear clothes.”

Of course, all the effort was worth it to see her sister’s reaction, and theheartwarming momentwas captured in a second TikTok, which has received hundreds of thousands of views.

“I feel like finding the bear is the only that I’ve brought up years later like, ‘Oh, I wish I had found that bear or a replacement," Hortsmann, 35, explains about the importance of “Di” in her life. “I had started on my own search a couple of years ago to find the bear and kind of just gave up.”

Hortsmann becomes visibly emotional in the video that shows her unwrapping the present. “Anything from Fallon is very thought out and a lot of thought goes into it,” she says, adding that in addition to the DIY bear, there was another incredibly thoughtful surprise.

“I opened it, and under the cover of the box was the photo of my parents and me with the bear," she says. “And immediately I knew exactly what was happening, and then immediately started crying.”

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The moment was even sweeter because it brought back memories of their mom, who passed away in 2009.

Hortsmann, who welcomed her daughter in late June, says the bear, which they also plan to call “Di,” has a special place until her daughter is old enough to play with it.

“I have the bear on a shelf in her nursery with a little plaque that says: “When I grow up, I want to be like Mommy,' " she says. “And the photo Fallon gave me in the box framed next to the bear, who, for right now, kind of just looks over her room.”

Hortsmann adds, “I do think there’s something special about the family relationship and a surprise gift that’s so touching. I think people really resonate and connect to that.”

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Reflecting on what her sister’s gift meant to her, Hortsmann says, “She is so thoughtful and just to take the time to not only remember this about me but to research and find a similar one and make it look pretty identical really means a lot.”

“I would consider Fallon one of my best friend,” she adds. “To not have a mom present in our life for the majority of our adulthood now, it’s been really special to have that bond between sisters.”

source: people.com