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Indiana Family On A Mission To Find Lost Teddy Bear's Owner

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- An Indiana family is on a special mission to find the owner of a lost teddy bear.

But it's not just any teddy bear -- this one has a special message for one child with a brave father.

"It's just a lost bear and it needs to find its way home," mother Amanda Fields said.

For now, its name is simply "Lost Bear," and its home is with the Fields family.

"This belongs to somebody and it needs to be back with them," Amanda said.

Over the weekend, a neighbor asked six-year-old Amaya if she wanted any stuffed animals left over from a garage sale. She picked out a set of teddy bears; a black one, a brown one, and a tan one.

Lost Teddy Bear
An Indiana family is on a special mission to find the owner of a lost teddy bear. But it's not just any teddy bear -- this one has a special message for one child with a brave father.(credit: Amanda Fields)

The tan one ended up being more than she expected.

"My daughter was playing with it, one of my puppies stepped on it, and it made a noise so she was going through each one pushing their tummies or their hands or anything and once she knew which one it was she brought it to me immediately," Amanda said.

It wasn't just a noise -- the tan teddy bear talked.

"She said 'mommy, it has a boy's voice'," Amanda said.

Mom and daughter listened over and over again to the muffled boy's voice trying to figure out what he was saying.

"Merry Christmas from Afghanistan, Daddy misses you," the bear plays. "Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I'll see you soon, I love you!"

All it took was one word -- Afghanistan -- to make all the difference.

"They know what that means," Amanda said. "They're like, this daddy who isin war and we need to find this person."

Amanda's husband and Amaya's father is a Marine.

"It hits close to home for us, it's just those little words of 'I miss you' or 'I'll see you soon' or 'I'm okay' is just so soothing," Amanda said. "It hits home."

And that's why the Fields took to Facebook, posting videos and a clip of the recording -- sharing the story maybe someone will recognize.

Until the bear is back with its owner, Amaya promises to keep it safe. Just like her brave daddy and the daddy whose voice lives in the bear keep all of us safe.

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