SINGAPORE \u2013 Most visitors head to Mandai Wildlife Reserve to meet the animal denizens, from roaring predators to gentle giants, across its five themed parks. <\/p>\n
But tucked within this popular destination, near the Singapore Zoo, is an unexpected new experience that focuses not on wildlife conservation, but on something just as significant: preserving memories.<\/p>\n
Enter Toy Doctor, a specialised service that repairs stuffed toys, from a threadbare teddy bear to a character missing an eye.<\/p>\n
While a plushie restoration service seems like a curious diversion for a nature and wildlife attraction, Ms Daisy Tan, Mandai Wildlife Group\u2019s vice-president of retail and lifestyle, says it is a fitting addition.<\/p>\n
Soft toys are perennial top-sellers at the parks\u2019 gift shops, often purchased as mementos of a child\u2019s encounter with a favourite animal or a family\u2019s day out.<\/p>\n
\u201cOver the years, guests have contacted us to bring back a soft toy or shared memories about a plushie bought at the zoo during their childhood,\u201d Ms Tan says. <\/p>\n
Officially launched on Feb 28, Toy Doctor is helmed by \u201csurgeons\u201d Isaac Kong and Pamela Theng, both 54, who are experienced in reviving well-loved companions. They welcome all stuffed toys.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe believe every plushie holds a story worth preserving,\u201d Ms Tan adds. <\/p>\n
By choosing to restore rather than replace these toys, the service also contributes to Mandai Wildlife Group\u2019s commitment to sustainable practices.<\/p>\n Husband-and-wife team Isaac Kong and Pamela Theng have cleaned and repaired more than 1,000 soft toys since 2016.<\/p>\n ST PHOTO: GIN TAY<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Before being scouted by Mandai Wildlife Group, the husband-and-wife team had been running a professional restoration service from their five-room HDB flat in Jurong since 2016.<\/p>\n What started in their 20s as a hobby of crafting teddy bears evolved into a side hustle alongside their corporate careers. Madam Theng previously had an administrative job in the engineering sector, while Mr Kong\u2019s background in healthcare operations inspired the name of their home-based business: Soft Toy Hospital.<\/p>\n Their pivot to specialised repair was sparked by a desperate customer who, unable to find a seamstress willing to mend a tear in her plushie, came across the couple online. <\/p>\n Madam Theng recalls: \u201cWe took the job because to us, it was just what we had always done \u2013 sewing bears.\u201d <\/p>\n Word spread after the grateful customer blogged about her experience. The couple have since cleaned, repaired or replicated more than 1,000 soft toys.<\/p>\n Now full-time \u201csurgeons\u201d at Toy Doctor, the couple view their career move to Mandai Wildlife Group as an opportunity to scale their craft. <\/p>\n \u201cWe never expected an organisation focused on animal conservation to approach us, but we share the same value: sustainability,\u201d Mr Kong says.<\/p>\n They hope to see Singapore emulate Japan\u2019s celebrated \u201cculture of repair\u201d, where everything \u2013 from broken ceramics to vintage bags to plushies \u2013 is given a second life. <\/p>\n Currently, only a handful of home-based businesses in Singapore offer such services. With Mandai Wildlife Group\u2019s backing, the couple aspire to professionalise and grow the industry.<\/p>\n \u201cWe can\u2019t keep doing this until our hands are shaking,\u201d Mr Kong says. \u201cWe wish to nurture the next generation of \u2018toy doctors\u2019 to carry the torch.\u201d<\/p>\n Mending a tear can range from $10 to $250 at Toy Doctor.<\/p>\n ST PHOTO: GIN TAY<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n The \u201cmedical\u201d procedure is a meticulous, multi-day process. Cleaning is performed by hand, followed by a careful air-drying process to preserve the material.<\/p>\n \u201cWe never use electric dryers,\u201d Mr Kong says. \u201cWhile many believe heat and sun help to disinfect, they actually cause discolouration and make the fabric brittle over time.\u201d<\/p>\n At Toy Doctor, a deep clean and restuffing for a toy under 35cm tall starts at $110. Mending a tear can range from $10 to $250, while other repairs such as replacing eyes or a nose are priced between $80 and $200.<\/p>\n \u201cThis may seem expensive to someone who says, \u2018I bought this for only $5,\u2019\u201d Mr Kong says. \u201cBut our customers don\u2019t see an object; they see a friend or a family member. You can buy a new toy, but you cannot buy the memories linked to the original.\u201d<\/p>\n Toddler Dylan Ailmchandani celebrating the \u201cbirthday\u201d of his dad\u2019s Green Lantern plushie in 2025. It was recently washed and restuffed at Toy Doctor. <\/p>\n PHOTOS: DARUL AILMCHANDANI, TOY DOCTOR<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Mr Darul Ailmchandani, a 38-year-old civil servant, agrees. He recently paid $120 to have his 30cm-tall Green Lantern plush toy deep-cleaned and restuffed at Toy Doctor.<\/p>\n The DC Comics superhero figure has been his companion for a decade, even accompanying him on travels abroad.<\/p>\n When asked if the cost made him hesitate, he replies instantly: \u201cI was ready to spend.\u201d<\/p>\n For Mr Ailmchandani, the plushie carries the weight of a turning point in his life. Ten years ago, he was hospitalised with a collapsed lung following an accident. <\/p>\n Doctors were uncertain about his prognosis \u2013 until a colleague arrived with the Green Lantern gift.<\/p>\n In the hours that followed, his health took a turn for the better. Call it coincidence or a touch of magic, but the moment stayed with him. So did the toy.<\/p>\n Since then, he and his wife celebrate the plushie\u2019s \u201cbirthday\u201d every Oct 13 \u2013 the anniversary of the day he received it \u2013 with a Green Lantern-themed cake, a tradition they now share with their three-year-old son.<\/p>\n \u201cTo me, it\u2019s not just a toy,\u201d Mr Ailmchandani adds. \u201cIt\u2019s a reminder of the moment things finally turned around.\u201d<\/p>\n The Toy Doctor\u2019s service has even drawn visitors who had never stepped foot into Mandai Wildlife Reserve.<\/p>\n Among them is Mrs Clarissa Wiyono, 29, who flew from Jakarta specifically to seek \u201ctreatment\u201d for her 10-year-old Dumbo plush, a cherished gift from Disneyland Orlando.<\/p>\n The 50cm-tall elephant toy has been a close companion, following her into married life. Even her husband Shan Wiyono has been won over by the plushie. The 35-year-old, who works in merger and acquisition, jokes that he may be more attached to Dumbo than she is, as he often hugs it to sleep.<\/p>\n Married couple Shan and Clarissa Wiyono share a deep affection for their 50cm-tall Dumbo plushie.<\/p>\n PHOTO: COURTESY OF CLARISSA WIYONO <\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n As avid travellers, the couple never board a flight without their floppy-eared friend. However, years of adventures had taken a toll on it. <\/p>\n \u201cDumbo began looking very thin,\u201d Mr Wiyono says. \u201cWe were worried about his condition worsening, so we decided it was time for a visit to Toy Doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n Mrs Wiyono, who works in the food and beverage industry, chose to deliver the plushie personally to ensure its safety during the journey. <\/p>\n \u201cWe couldn\u2019t trust logistics companies to handle this; we didn\u2019t want our plushie to be smashed in a box,\u201d she says, noting that she was unable to find a similar restoration service in Indonesia. <\/p>\n Besides spending $190 to rejuvenate the soft toy, she also incurred travel expenses from Jakarta to Singapore. But seeing their \u201cthin\u201d Dumbo return to a \u201cclean, fat and cuddly\u201d state provided a sense of relief that money cannot buy.<\/p>\n The toy is one of a kind to them. Despite searching Disney stores globally during their trips, they have not come across this design again.<\/p>\n As Mr Wiyono puts it: \u201cWe couldn\u2019t find another one, so we have to protect this.\u201d<\/p>\n It is these heart-warming stories that fuel Mr Kong and Madam Theng\u2019s passion for what they do. <\/p>\n Beyond their roles as \u201csurgeons\u201d, the couple and their team of \u201cnurses\u201d host education programmes where children can explore the anatomy of a plushie. Young participants learn about recycling, restoring and various filling materials, from soft polyester to microfoam beads, during these sessions. They even get to stuff a toy and take it home. Prices start at $35.<\/p>\n Kids can engage in paid activities where they select filling materials, stuff a toy and then take their finished creation home.<\/p>\n ST PHOTO: GIN TAY<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n However, the duo emphasise that empathy, rather than just a needle and thread, is the most vital tool in their kit.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have to be able to put yourself in the customer\u2019s shoes and truly listen,\u201d Mr Kong says. <\/p>\n \u201cMost of the time, they aren\u2019t looking for the toy to look brand new or perfect. We have to follow their lead and respect their unique connection to the plushie, instead of simply doing what we think is technically right.\u201d<\/p>\n Madam Theng reflects on the deeper impact of their work: \u201cAs time goes by, we\u2019ve realised we aren\u2019t just fixing toys; we\u2019re healing hearts and minds.\u201d<\/p>\n Whether it is putting an anxious adult at ease or helping a child who has lost sleep over a tear in his favourite friend, the couple find job satisfaction in the emotional relief they provide. <\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s nothing quite like receiving a text from a relieved mother,\u201d Madam Theng adds, \u201cor hearing a simple \u2018Thank you, Dr Isaac and Dr Pamela\u2019 from a happy child.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/picture><\/div>
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