Grandma Went on a Heartwarming Mission to Find Her Son's Childhood Lovey for His Baby

No matter how many years go by and how entrenched in parenthood and adult life we may be, you'll always remember your childhood lovey. And you'll want to make sure your L.O. has one of their very own -- perhaps even the same one you had. A new dad named Nick Hollinger recently took to Reddit to share a heartwarming story of passing on a replica of his lovey -- a stuffed giraffe named Fraffy -- to his son, and of course, it's gone viral, because it's just that darn sweet.

The proud father told Redditors that he got Fraffy as a Christmas gift 29 years ago. “When I moved to Chicago from Washington state at age 12, Fraffy was my moving buddy,” Hollinger later elaborated to Babble. “He sat with me, assuring me I could make it through high school in a new state. He maintained his cuddle buddy status for a few more years, hiding under the covers when friends came over.”

Many years later, just before Hollinger's wedding, his mom Jan found the aging stuffed animal and asked her son if he'd like to have him. Hollinger told Babble his response at the time was, "Why don’t you keep him for me? You can keep him safe and he can keep you safe, just like he did for me all those years.”

Then, on Christmas 2016, while awaiting the arrival of their first baby, Hollinger and his wife received "a particularly fancy package" from his mom. "[She] sits down next to me, eyes sparkling,” Nick told Babble. “Carefully, I raised the lid and there he was: a brand new Fraffy — vibrant and velvety, horned, hole-less and whole, stuffed full of soft cotton and life. He was the best Christmas present I ever received.”

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Jan devoted much time to scouting for the new Fraffy on eBay, even getting into bidding wars. Now, the Hollingers' son Link is 8 months old and absolutely adores his lovey. And while it may not seem possible, perhaps one day he'll love it even more once he understands its connection to his dad's childhood and the thoughtful story behind it! Too sweet!