“Everyone needs a magical best friend!”
Darius Noonan spent the first few years of his life in foster care. During that time, he found comfort from a stuffed pup. So much so, that after he was adopted into a loving home, Darius began a project to give other kids in foster care their own plush pal
Darius Noonan had bounced between several foster homes before he was adopted at age 4. During those years, there was just one constant in his life: his beloved stuffed dog, Trouble, a gift from his social worker.
“Trouble listens to me. I talked to him when I was worried or scared,” Darius explained to his mom, Maria.
In fact, Trouble had been created by a woman named Sheila Duncan and her 12-yearold niece, Kendall, for that very purpose in 2006, after the young girl had lost several loved ones to cancer.
Maria’s heart warmed watching Darius tuck in his plush pal at night. He’d sit and read to him. Trouble has been his coping mechanism and good f riend, she realized, grateful he had someone to love and comfort him during those diff icult days.
And Maria was overwhelmed when one day, when he was 7, Darius told her and his dad, “I want to raise money so other kids in foster care can have a Trouble the Dog. I know it can feel scary and lonely, and I don’t want any kids to feel that way.
Trouble can help them and let them know someone loves them and hears them,” he sweetly explained.
Darius began doing chores around the house and saving his birthday and Christmas money to purchase Trouble stuffed animals to give to local foster kids. He advertised by decorating the front lawn with “Honk for Trouble” signs, and got t wo local businesses to put donation boxes on their premises.
Touched and inspired by his compassion, Maria posted about her son’s project on Facebook, and soon, donations started coming in, helping him buy even more.
In 2019, Maria was at a craft fair and saw a Trouble the Dog display. She went over and, by chance, met Sheila. Thanking her, Maria shared the impact the toy had on her son’s life, and how he was now gifting Trouble to other kids.
Astounded by the little boy with such a huge heart, Sheila dedicated a page on her company’s website (Troublethedog. com/kids-helping-kids) to Darius for people to purchase Trouble ($44.95, includes free shipping) to either be sent directly to a child in need or to Darius for personal deliveries— something he loves doing.
“Trouble is an angel in disguise, and this is going to be your new best friend,” Darius gushes when he hands a child a Trouble the Dog of their own.
“He’s been through so much but remains so full of joy and compassion,” Maria marvels.
As of today, Darius has gifted more than 400 Trouble the Dogs to kids in foster care— and also to local police and f ire departments to give to kids they meet or rescue from emotional situations. And he has no plans to stop.
“I want to keep on going because there are so many kids who need hope, a hug and something of their very own to keep with them forever,” Darius, now 12, says. “Everyone needs their own magical best friend to help them through scary and hard times.”