See the priceless moment this girl is reunited with her teddy after 4,000 mile journey

While Millie took a flight home, 'Special dog' flew with Fedex Picture: LUCY MCALPINE (Image: Lucy McAlpine)

She was with parents Lucy and Neil in Florida and they finished their trip with a stay at the Hard Rock hotel in Universal Studios, Orlando.

Millie was travelling America with her muslin blanket and 'Special dog' - her much-loved toy that has been with her all her life.

Mrs McAlpine explained everything was fine until the family was strapped in their seats on the plane ready for the nine hour flight home.

She said: "Just before take off Millie turned to me and said 'I wish I had my blanket and Special Dog'.

The card, sent by the team at the Hard Rock Hotel in Orlando, told Millie all about her favourite stuffed animal's adventures Picture: LUCY MCALPINE (Image: Lucy McAlpine)

"My husband contacted the hotel and we communicated as long as we could before take off, explaining they had been left in the bed and if someone could just check the laundry we were sure they'd find them.

"After a long nine hours consoling Millie we landed in the UK but the hotel had been unable to locate Special and asked for photographs."

All hope seemed lost and after a week Mrs McAlpine began seeking out a replacement 'Special dog' while her daughter was away on a school trip.

"We tried to console Millie with stories of how Special dog was hanging out by the pool with Gwyneth Paltrow and riding all the rollercoasters," she added.

The overwhelming moment Millie was reunited with 'Special dog' Picture: LUCY MCALPINE (Image: Lucy McAlpine)

But just as the family had resigned themselves to Special being lost forever an email arrived.

Mrs McAlpine said: "Out of the blue, two weeks after we got home, we received another email from someone at the hotel to say they'd found him and they would be flying him home the next day.

"They sent him with a lovely note of what he'd been up to, someone had taken photos of him dotted around the hotel and included some lovely gifts for Millie as they were unable to locate her blanket."

The couple said they could not believe they had been treated so well by the hotel.

As well as the cuddly toy, the team at the hotel sent back a whole collection of souvenirs and some photos of 'Special dog' having a lovely time Picture: LUCY MCALPINE (Image: Lucy McAlpine)

Mrs McAlpine said "We only stayed at the Hard Rock for four days, we were not VIP guests, yet without them going above and beyond the call of duty, we would never have been reunited with 'Special dog' and our little girl would never have got her full sparkle back."

The card was a hearfelt touch from the sender Picture: LUCY MCALPINE (Image: Lucy McAlpine)

A picture of the replacement 'Special dog' Mrs McAlpine found online (left) and the original and irreplaceable 'Special dog' sent back from Orlando (right) Picture: LUCY MCALPINE (Image: Lucy McAlpine)