Toddler reunited with ‘daddy doll’ after losing it on flight

The doll belongs to a little girl whose daddy is a Marine. He’s deployed overseas. She calls it her “Daddy doll.”

"My heart absolutely sank. I started sweating, and almost started crying," mother, Arielle Britton told WSB-TV.

Britton looked high and low for her 18-month-old daughter Kenley's doll.

"It's her Daddy. It's her Daddy doll," Britton said.

The "Daddy" is Brian, a corporal in the United States Marine Corps, deployed overseas. But before he left, he had the doll specially made for Kenley, complete with a little voice box.

"She sleeps with it every night. And he actually recorded a goodnight message to her," Britton said.

The doll says, "Hi Kenley! I love you," every time Kenley squeezes it.

She doesn't go anywhere without it, but this week during a Delta flight from Hartford, Connecticut, to Atlanta, “Daddy doll” disappeared.

Airport and airline employees at both locations searched every nook and cranny.

The mission went viral on Facebook and Twitter. But Britton was afraid “Daddy doll’ was gone for good, but then around 1 p.m. Eastern Standard Time Friday, “Daddy doll” was recovered.

Britton was told Delta employees found it on the plane. The child’s mother is overwhelmed and humbled.

"There's so many amazing things that came out of this journey for us, and we're so appreciative of everybody and everything," Britton said.

And little Kenley is grateful, too.

"Daddy doll" is now being shipped home. The family lives in South Carolina.Delta said Saturday that they were able to fly the doll to Savannah where agents reunited 18-month-old Kenley with her doll -- plus a few gifts from the airline.