When the Only Thing You Can Save Is a Stuffed Animal

On July 4th, floods tore through summer camps in the Texas Hill Country. Dozens of children died. Many more lost the only comfort they brought with them: their stuffies.

If you’ve ever quietly carried a stuffy through hard things—on a trip, into a hospital, or into adulthood—this story will hit in a particular place. You’re not alone. And yes, it still matters.

Stuffies matter—not just for kids. Not just for comfort. They hold memory, safety, identity, and connection. We know that here, and we’re sleeping better knowing that the Lost Stuffie Project exists.

When the floods hit Camp Mystic in Texas on the night of July 4th, dozens of children died, and many others were evacuated in the dark and rain. Amid that devastation, countless kids also lost the only things they brought with them for comfort: their lovies. Their closest precious stuffie. Their lifelong sleep companion. Their BFF—Best Furry Friend.

That’s where Lost Stuffy Project steps in. They’re a volunteer group working around the clock to track down replacements—not just for survivors, but for grieving families who want a cherished plushie buried with their child.

The stories are almost too much:
– Ruff Ruff, the brown dog a little girl clutched since babyhood, lost in the evacuation but a doppelganger found and replaced within two days
– A pink poodle blanket called Guppie, the thing a camper missed most
– A Jellycat monkey, placed on top of a 9-year-old’s casket
– Volunteers, one in Michigan we'd especially love to meet, doing “stuffy rehab” to clean and restore anything close to what’s been lost.

For a lot of neurodivergent folks, stuffies aren’t just for childhood. They’re a way to self-soothe, to stay grounded, to hold onto something real when everything else gets loud. If you’ve ever reached for one in adulthood, you already know: these aren’t just objects. They’re part of how we stay here.

This is the kind of care our ND Works community gets. These comfort items aren't just things—they're anchors. Memory holders. Emotional constants in a world that often shifts too fast.

Here’s how we can help:
– Follow @loststuffyproject on Instagram
– Search thrift stores, eBay, childhood boxes - these aren’t new toys, they’re 5, 10, 20 years old
– Share tips or matches when they post
– Offer a repair, a shipment, a memory, a lead

Sometimes community looks like showing up. Sometimes it looks like mailing out a secondhand stuffed monkey at midnight.

Not everything can be fixed. But this? This is one small thing we might be able to do.

If you know someone who’s lost something small but sacred, feel free to share this. Or visit loststuffyproject.org to see what’s needed now.