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Kids' original sketches become cherished plush toys

This past winter, Christine Vosik of Omaha, Nebraska, surprised her 14-year-old daughter, Maddie, with a special stuffed toy — a cheery pink octopus with orange splotches and curly tentacles. The toy was based on a picture drawn by the girl who Maddie did everything with, Taylor Podraza, who signed it and wrote: “Dedicated to my best friend Maddie Vosik.” Seven months after sketching the oc
The Super Micah, drawn by Michale DeLong for her brother Micah
The Super Micah, drawn by Michale DeLong for her brother MicahToday
Pink Octopus, drawn by Taylor Podraza, who was killed in a car crash in 2010. It was given to her best friend Maddie Vosik as a gift and way to remember her.
Pink Octopus, drawn by Taylor Podraza, who was killed in a car crash in 2010. It was given to her best friend Maddie Vosik as a gift and way to remember her.Today

This past winter, Christine Vosik of Omaha, Nebraska, surprised her 14-year-old daughter, Maddie, with a special stuffed toy — a cheery pink octopus with orange splotches and curly tentacles. 

The toy was based on a picture drawn by the girl who Maddie did everything with, Taylor Podraza, who signed it and wrote: “Dedicated to my best friend Maddie Vosik.” Seven months after sketching the octopus, Taylor was killed in a car crash in December, 2010, but Maddie had never seen the picture until it was found in October and given to her.

Maddie's beloved octopus is part of a line of one-of-a-kind creations by Budsies, a company that makes handmade stuffed toys and animals based on a child's own drawing.

“I feel better because it’s something cuddly that reminds me of her, so it’s hugging a piece of her,” Maddie said. “It was made for me, so it’s really special to me.”

The Super Micah, drawn by Michale DeLong for her brother Micah
The Super Micah, drawn by Michale DeLong for her brother MicahToday

In Munster, Indiana, Michale DeLong, 15, drew a picture of her brother, Micah, as “Super Micah,” a grinning superhero with an “M” on his chest. Micah has cerebral palsy, and cannot speak or stand, yet has surpassed his life expectancy and smiles when he’s happy.

15 year old Michael DeLong designed a Budsie for her brother Micah, who has cerebral palsey.
15 year old Michale DeLong designed a Budsie for her brother Micah, who has cerebral palsey.Today

The siblings’ grandmother, Mary Miller, had a Budsie made of “Super Micah,” and Michale gave it to her brother for his 10th birthday in March, a tender moment for the family.

“He’ll look over at it and he’ll smile,” Miller said, adding that it “personifies what the family feels.”

“He’s taught the whole family that with love and with patience you can always exceed expectations,” said Miller, 60, of Sarasota, Florida. The Budsie will be an enduring symbol of Micah, and will accompany him to the hospital for a risky spinal operation later this month, Miller said.

Budsies founder Alex Furmansky said the company's vision is to let children be the designers of their toys. “You’re taking their imagination and bringing it to life in something huggable,” he said. While they play a special role in the healing of some families' heartaches, Budsies were inspired by a practical problem familiar to every parent.

Furmansky, 29, saw the art made by his sister, Michelle, 13, go from the refrigerator and kitchen walls into storage bins in the basement. While art may be put away and forgotten, he knew kids love stuffed animals.

“It’s their imagination and it’s being lost in some basement or garage or attic,” he said. “The idea came about, how can I bring together this beautiful imagination that this child creates with the longevity and the devotion and love that they give to these stuffed toys?”

After the first two Budsies were made for Michelle, her friends wanted them as well. The company, which was started in Lake Worth, Florida, last September, has since turned out about 1,300 Budsies.

“I thought it’d be a fun, cool thing for kids to immortalize their creativity and it’s turned into something so much more important to so many families,” Furmansky said.

Those families inspired Furmansky to donate Budsies, which cost $69, to children in need. In April, nine children were treated to Budsies through the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Eastern Pennsylvania and Easter Seals in Indiana.

“You have these kids going through tough times and they could use a buddy with them to keep them company and give them strength,” Furmansky said.

Lisa A. Flam is a news and lifestyles reporter in New York. Follow her on Twitter.