She "cured" 12,500 teddy bears

In Pickering, North Yorkshire, England, there is a special drop-in center.

It has a hospital, an orphanage, and adopters visit every week, but you won't see a single orphan ......

Because it's not humans that are being rescued here but abandoned teddy bears.

The Yorkshire Teddy Rescue is run by former blues singer and antique dealer Tina Rush, the ultimate teddy bear lover.

In her home, there are more than 12,500 teddy bears, ranging from vintage limited editions to civilian masses.

The vast majority of the bears were unwanted and sent to her, or she found them on the side of the road, not looking good and often missing arms and eyes.

But Tina still loved them.

She felt that teddy bears have a soul and need to be cared for, just like people.

In Tina's house, there is a large studio, which she calls the "Teddy Bear Hospital". Inside lie more than 800 teddy bears, each wrapped in a blanket and placed gently on a table.

Tina washes dries, and mends the fur of each baby teddy bear, repairing any tears, fitting legs where they are missing, and then dressing them in new clothes. The whole process can take dozens of hours.

Her living room is a "teddy bear orphanage".

The newly groomed bears are lined up, waiting to be adopted by someone who likes them.

They also carry an information card with their names and backstories.

"Plum stone: Once torn to shreds by dogs, the red buttons on Plum stone's ears hint at the tough times he's had. But not anymore, he's in good shape."

"Kipper: This cute little goofy bear used to spend a lot of time in a van full of sardines and was stinky when we bought him. Gave him 6 baths and now he's able to find a new home."

"Steve: Found this little bear at the fair with his hat and a puppy in the box. Please give Steve a new home, he is super awesome!!!"

After receiving the bear, the adopter would happily take a picture with him and tell Tina that he would love him.

Most of Tina's teddy bears are sold at low prices, with all the money going to the British Asthma Foundation. There is also a portion that she gives away for free to doctors and nurses, elderly people living alone, victims of sexual abuse, and children with autism.

"Not everyone has the money to afford expensive teddy bears." Tina said in the interview, "Most of the customers are elderly people who have spent the past year trying to escape loneliness."

"Just because something is used doesn't mean it's second best. Life isn't shiny because it's perfect, it's cuter because it is."

Some bears are so badly injured that Tina will do bear body donation surgery to sew up other bears.

"There are bears that can't be operated on, and once I open the bag, it's so heartbreaking to find them in the condition they are in. I would never give up on any bear, but in extreme cases, the only option is to let it live out its life, with the fur and eyes donated to other bears."

"Tina opened the Yorkshire Teddy Bear Rescue Center in 2016 and had to retire early to run it full time because of the sheer volume of work she was doing.

Her obsession with teddy bears was so overwhelming that people around her thought she was crazy.

But Tina knows why she loves teddy bears. Because it was it that accompanied her through the most difficult times.

Tina became obsessed with teddy bears at the age of 4. That year, she was admitted to the hospital with scarlet fever, and a neighbor gave her a teddy bear named Patton.

Touching the plush bear, she felt a strong sense of security and happiness.

For the next 61 years, whether it was the death of her two brothers from heart disease, the passing of her parents, or a terrible divorce, Patton was by her side, silently soothing.

In 2016, Tina's daughter died of a severe asthma attack at the age of 25.

On the fifth day after her death, Tina developed Marie Antoinette syndrome and her hair went completely white overnight from grief.

It was Barton who spent those hellish days with Tina. She held it as if it were her child.

Tina transformed after that. She changed her attitude towards life, allowing herself to live more slowly and calmly, because "the most important thing is time".

She also realized how encouraging teddy bears can be to people, and opened a teddy bear rescue center to collect discarded bears, fix them and give them to people in need.

"It sounds like a silly job, but when the bears are taken to their new homes, they are cared for, cuddled, and loved again. It's just so wonderful."

The rescue's Facebook page is home to thousands of teddy bear-loving members who all have a strong emotional connection to the bears.

One 90-year-old grandmother gave Tina the bear that had been with her all her life at the end of her life.

Knowing that her family didn't like it and would likely dispose of it after her death, she gave it to Tina to take care of.

There was also a young man who loved his teddy bear too much and hugged it too much causing it to have a deformed face.

He begged Tina so hard to fix it that it was the only private commission she ever accepted.

After 4 weeks of mending, 14 hours a day, the young man was in tears when he received the bear.

There are many more stories like this on the Facebook page, where the teddy bear is tied to the history of its owner.

"This is the first bear I ever adopted. A very loving friend gave it to me when

My husband and I were in the middle of a long adoption process to adopt our human child. It was the bear cub that stayed with us through it all, until now."

"This is Base, my first teddy bear. I got him as a companion after my husband passed away. He and I have been to quite a few places. Although I have bought some other bears since then, he is the most special to me."

"This is my best and most important bear, called Pliny Jr. It was my mother's last gift to me in 2000, and she passed away shortly after that. It means a lot to me. Little Pliny considers himself a Roman, and this photo was taken a few years ago when I accompanied him on a state visit to Rome."

"His name is Morita and he is a very special little bear of mine. My three adult children bought it as a gift to celebrate the end of my treatment!"

"My favorite friend in this life, Ted Sr, is 60 years old. I bought this when my parents adopted me when I was only 6 weeks old. He lost his ears and his voice, but I still love him so much."

"This is me and my Teddy, who has been with me for 68 whole years. When we were little, my brother used to threaten to beat Teddy and even throw him downstairs. Because he knew it would be worse than beating me! I don't know who created it for me. I have other bears, but he's the one for me."

Many teddy bears, in the eyes of the average person, may not be considered cute, but in the eyes of their owners, they are the most special.

It's an irrational feeling, but it's also a beautiful one.

In times of sadness, confusion, and grief, we may all need a plush, soft little thing to tuck into our arms and give us comfort ......