National Winnie the Pooh Day: ‘Yellow bear was my light during cancer battle’

A hair and make-up artist who has an extensive collection of Winnie the Pooh items has spoken about the bond she has formed with the yellow bear who was her “light” during chemo treatments, and was even present on the day she was proposed to - the character’s special day. January 18 marks National Winnie the Pooh Day – a day on which lovers of the honey-loving bear come together to celebrate the beloved character’s cultural legacy – and Pooh has played a pivotal role in Denise Coxon's life from a young age. “Winnie the Pooh has always been special to me since I was a little kid just from watching the cartoons and going to Disneyland with my parents,” the 39-year-old, from Meridian, Idaho, told the PA news agency. “It sounds kind of cheesy, but he’s gotten me through some of the toughest times in my life such as breast cancer, where I would carry with me everywhere the Winnie the Pooh my husband Shaun, 40, gave to me when he proposed to me on July 2011 in front of Cinderella’s castle at Disneyworld.”