article: A little boy with autism has sent his toy bear on a round-the-world mission to help him raise awareness about the disability. In January 2013, Dorian Poe, from Burlington, Ontario, sent his favorite toy out on the global adventure, having been inspired by the story of a cancer-stricken girl who, unable to live her own dreams of world travel, sent her teddy bear in her place. Hoping to raise the same level of global awareness about his own condition, Dorian decided to send his Ganz Webkinz bear, called Tikko, out into the world, carrying with him a message of understanding and tolerance for those affected by autism. Scroll down for video . 'It's okay to be different': Dorian Poe, 11, with his beloved bear Tikko, whose travels have raised awareness for autism all over the world . With the help and support of his mother Christine, Dorian, who was then nine years old, sent Tikko off on the first leg of his adventure in back in January 2013. Now, the bear has circled the globe and then some, continuing to share his vital message, while inviting the world to join in with his journey online. 'When I first decided to support Dorian in his campaign, it was because I was happy to see him want to “pay it forward”' Christine tells DailyMail.com. 'I fundraise each year to pay the $24,500.00/year tuition it costs for Dorian to go to a special needs school. I was thrilled to support Tikko because Dorian had found a way to give back to our community; a community that has been wonderful at supporting our fundraising efforts.' Hello, my name is Dorian. I have autism, and so does my pet polar bear Tikko. Tikko is about to go traveling on an adventure; and I need you to take care of him. My polar bear wants to raise autism awareness. Just call him 'Tikko the Autism Bear' or 'Tikko'. Guess what, this guy is much more different than the other polar bears you know. Things you should look out for: . To accompany Tikko the autistic bear on his adventures, Dorian included a letter explaining the characteristics and challenges involved in having autism – using the toy to help other people understand what the various aspects of the condition can feel like. Each family who receivedTikko on his travels would take on the job of raising awareness in his or her community – helping to spread Dorian’s message across the globe, while he remained at home in Canada. But the mother and son could never have known what a phenomenon Tikko would become. 'In January when Tikko took his first trip to Jamaica, I connected with another mom there whose child had autism,' Christine explains. 'There was little to no support for autism in Jamaica.' Hearing such a story from so far away, Christine began to research autism in the other countries Tikko was visiting, and she shared what she learned on the campaign's Facebook page. And two weeks after the Tikko had begun his adventures, Christine became involved in coordinating them. After media attention grew, and demand for visits from Tikko increased, Christine received a donation of new Tikkos from toy company GANZ, who offered 600 bears to the cause in order to help the family cope with the overwhelming amount of interest. ‘For the first few months there was only one Tikko,’ Christine explained. ‘It wasn’t long before we realized we could reach people faster by having more Tikko’s available. So I wrote to GANZ (the maker of the Webkinz Polar Bear), and to date they have donated 600 polar bears to us!’ With so many Tikko bears in the mix, running the campaign became a full-time job for Christine. At the gate: Tikko made it to 24 countries in his first 10 months of traveling . A towering success: The little bear has made it to some of the world's most instantly-recognizable landmarks . She keeps supporters informed with daily updates on Tikko's location on Facebook and Twitter, receives new Tikko travel photos every day, and promotes the awareness campaign across autism networking sites. However, Christine says: 'No matter how busy I am, I always have time to listen and offer support to those dealing with the challenges of having a child on the spectrum.' Tikko's Facebook page documents every destination he has reached in dozens of photos. He's posed at some of the world's most famous landmarks, hobnobbed with A-list celebrities, and even scraped the skies in a daring aerial show, all the while broadcasting the important message splashed across his T-shirt: 'Autism…it’s okay to be different!' The campaign has affected children all over the world who have autism, not in the least the young boy who started it all. A message in motion: Tikko spreads awareness with his motto: 'Autism…it’s okay to be different!' Getting back to his roots: Tikko has even made it as far as the North Pole, which was a dream of owner Dorian . 'Dorian feels a sense of purpose,' says mom Christine. 'He feels he is not only helping the world, but also his school peers. He’s gained confidence, and he’s made & kept friends more easily. 'He’s matured a great deal since starting his campaign. It has also brought us closer together – we share a very special bond.' Today there are still 20 Tikkos on the go, and the work is far from over. 'Tikko is still travelling, and will be for many years to come!' says Christine. 'He is just back from Kuwait, Lithuania, Nice and Scotland. He’s currently in Germany. 'Another Tikko is on the set of the Dragon's Den. Another Tikko is packed and ready to visit Mount Fuji in Japan. The list goes on. Tikko is one busy bear!'
highlights: Dorian Poe, 11, from Burlington, Ontario, sends his stuffed polar bear Tikko to other children around the world .
  Each child who looks after Tikko is tasked with raising awareness about autism in his or her community .
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