WAKE COUNTY, N.C. — A grieving North Carolina family said they were denied a chance to honor the memory of their baby girl by Build-A-Bear Workshop.
[BUILD-A-BEAR CHAOS: Sale shut down after unprecedented lines at malls]
The mother, Ashley Guevara, of Wake County, asked the retailer if she could still use her Pay Your Age ticket to build a bear in 6-month-old Dahlia’s memory.
Dahlia was born with a rare genetic disease and died Thursday of complications from pneumonia.
That same day, Guevara received a promotional ticket to build a bear and wanted to buy a bear online.
The company apologized to Guevara for her loss but told her that guests must be present to pay their age.
"To me, it just felt like they wanted us to dig her up out of the ground and bring her there," the girl’s father, Joey Duvall, said.
Amid social media backlash, Build-A-Bear's CEO called Guevara on Tuesday to apologize.
Build-A-Bear emailed our ABC affiliate WTVD the following statement:
"Our CEO has spoken directly with the mother, Ashley Guevara, and expressed our regret for our original online response. We are working with the family to find a time when they can visit our store for a personal - and hopefully special - complementary experience at a time that is convenient for them. -- Dorrie Krueger, Chief Strategy Officer"