Special Bears Help Many Bear with Loss of Loved Ones

By Jacqueline Sit, NEWS 9

BLANCHARD, Oklahoma -- With the holidays here, coping with the loss of a loved one can be overwhelming, but one Blanchard woman is helping many all over the world bear with their loss through her creative crafts.

Tammy Hendricks builds presents that have been a popular item all over the world for decades. She custom makes memory bears to help those who are coping with loss.

"The stories, sometimes, they're tragic and sometimes they're accidents," Hendricks said.

With the help of her husband, Hendricks has been making memory bears and dogs for several years now. Her inspiration came from her mother who died of breast cancer 13 years ago.

She decided to make a teddy bear out of her mother's old coat as a reminder of the woman who made a difference in her life.

"It was a very difficult thing. I never sewed before and I went fast and slow and gave up many times thinking there's no way I can do this," Hendricks said.

Hendricks fashions clothes belonging to lost loved ones into teddy bears, and having only one hand hasn't stopped her from learning how to sew and crafting over a thousand stuffed animals for others.

"I thought about my mom and she always told me that I can do anything that I wanted to if I believed that I could. She said don't ever let anybody tell you you can't, and so I just kept trying and I made that bear.

During the holidays, Hendricks is packed with requests from all over the country.

"I just think about the hurt that people are going through of losing a loved one like that, and I just hope in some way by making this little bear I can touch their life in a good way by bringing back something of their loved one," Hendricks said.

The stuffed teddy bears and dogs replicas range from $90 to thousands of dollars.