16-year-old creates Huggy Hatters stuffies to bring joy to other kids

SAN FRANCISCO -- Sixteen-year-old Maisy Garnett has always recognized the importance of a good stuffed animal.

"Whenever I'm feeling alone, my go-to place is just my bed where it's filled with stuffed animals. Even though there's nobody present, it's kind of like you don't feel lonely at all," Garnett shares.

Spreading the joy and comfort a stuffed animal can bring was the driving force behind founding Huggy Hatters.

"Huggy Hatters is a business where you can buy stuffed animals and hats, and every stuffed animal has a hat that matches it. So, you can like develop a more personal connection with your stuffie."

Currently, you can buy either a frog, duck or dog stuffie -- complete with a matching hat.

"You can always hug them when you're going to bed, when you're just, like, doing your work, you can have one on your lap. The goal of Huggy Hatters is to spread hugs and just make sure that no kid ever feels lonely," Garnett reveals.

After starting the company, Garnett wanted to create sustainable animals.

"They're made out of recycled polyester, so water bottles that are basically turned into fabric," Garnett explains.

But Garnett also wanted Huggy Hatters to be a philanthropic as well.

"For every four plushy sold, we donate one to a kid in need. Whether it's somebody who's at the hospital, somebody who's in an orphanage or anybody who needs a hug," Garnett says.

Garnett hopes to make the world a little brighter, one "huggy" friend at a time.

"I want to make sure that everybody can feel the comfort of having a stuffed animal, seems like the kids that I sold them to, like smile and run off with their little stuffed animals. It's a really rewarding process," Garnett says.

For more information, visit the Huggy Hatter website.