Every now and then, a story comes along that captures the very heart of what we do. A story that reminds us how something as simple as a sheepskin flat bear can become so much more.
This is Brooke’s story.
Her mum calls her a Flatbear Warrior, a little girl on a mission to bring happiness to every flat bear she can find.
Brooke’s FLATOUTbear journey began almost nine years ago, when she was given two bears, one to take with her to childcare and another to keep at home. One little chap quickly became her absolute favourite, the one she called Childcare Flatbear.
He was there through every nap, tucked into every suitcase on family holidays, and held tight on the days Mum couldn’t be. Time and love wore him down in the most beautiful way – soft, threadbare, and irreplaceable.
As Brooke grew older, she began looking out for flat bears everywhere. In op shops, online, anywhere someone might be parting with one. Her mum recalled a moment when Brooke let out a scream of excitement in a thrift store so loud that the shopkeepers were left in shock.
Brooke’s collection has grown to 30 FLATOUTbears, each with its own name, story, and little personality. Some are fresh and fluffy, others a bit worn but she loves them all equally.
Every time a birthday or holiday rolls around, Brooke asks for just one thing: another FLATOUTbear. She even asked her mum to write her a little book to read at night, where she and her bear are the main characters on an adventure.
Brooke’s mum told us something that truly moved us.
“When we talked about what we’d take in an emergency, Brooke said she’d leave everything else but she’d grab her FLATOUTbears. Especially her Childcare Flatbear.”
Stories like Brooke’s are exactly why we started FLATOUTbear. We wanted to create something timeless, gentle and grounding. A flat bear that a child could grow up with and still treasure years later.
Brooke is part of our story now, just as much as the bears are part of hers.
