Christina Cellini says her 7‑year‑old daughter Emilia lost her beloved stuffed bunny, Sprinkles, on a Metro‑North train after seeing the Radio City Rockettes on Dec. 21. An AirTag attached to the toy last pinged near a waste facility by Poughkeepsie before going dark, and the family has filed a lost‑and‑found report with the MTA. A Dec. 22 TikTok plea has drawn more than 170,000 views and nearly 900 comments, spurring offers of help from MTA workers and strangers. The family hopes the toy will be returned when the lost‑and‑found box arrives at Grand Central Station; if not, a generous stranger is sending a replacement.
Community Rallies After 7-Year-Old’s Beloved Bunny Goes Missing On Metro‑North
Christina CelliniL: A stuffed bunny named Sprinkles; R: Emilia, 7, and Sprikles
A 7-year-old girl was left heartbroken after her cherished stuffed bunny, Sprinkles, disappeared from a Metro‑North train just days before Christmas. Her mother, Christina Cellini, tells PEOPLE the toy — which had an AirTag attached — went missing following a trip to see the Radio City Rockettes on Dec. 21.
Christina CelliniEmilia, 7, and Sprinkles attend a Radio City Rockettes performance on Sunday, Dec. 21.
How It Happened
Cellini and her daughter Emilia boarded the MTA Metro‑North train in Beacon to travel downtown for the show. After the performance they returned to the train, but Christina received an alert on her phone: "Sprinkles is no longer with you." She immediately searched Emilia’s bag but could not find the bunny. Emilia screamed as the train pulled away — a moment Christina says she still regrets not stopping for.
Christina CelliniEmilia, 7, and Sprinkles
Tracker Last Seen Near Poughkeepsie
The family’s AirTag last reported a signal near a waste facility by Poughkeepsie before going dark on Tuesday morning. Christina completed the MTA lost‑and‑found online form and was told the system’s lost‑and‑found box typically takes about a week to return to Grand Central Station. It remains unclear whether Sprinkles was turned in.
Christina CelliniEmilia, her father, and Sprinkles at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto
A Viral Plea Brings A Wave Of Support
On Dec. 22 Christina posted a short TikTok asking for help in the Beacon area. The video has since drawn more than 170,000 views and nearly 900 comments, prompting offers of assistance from MTA employees, commuters and strangers across the country. Several viewers reported contacting Metro‑North staff, and at least one person offered to send an identical replacement bunny if Sprinkles isn’t recovered.
"We live in such a divisive time and to have all these people looking for a 7‑year‑old’s little stuffed animal is so heartwarming," Christina told PEOPLE. Messages of support have come from New York, Connecticut and New Jersey — and as far away as Texas and California.
What Happens Next
The family is patiently waiting for the lost‑and‑found box to return to Grand Central Station. If Sprinkles doesn’t turn up, a kind stranger in Stanford, Conn., has offered to send a near‑identical replacement to help comfort Emilia while they keep searching.
Why It Matters: Beyond the simple story of a lost toy, the outpouring of community support highlights how small acts of kindness can lift a family in distress — especially a child coping with the loss of a comfort object tied to important milestones like starting kindergarten.
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