Nick Tabar and Maggie McKernan have been together for a while now. 

“It's been five years,” said McKernan.

Their story is a tale, almost, as old as time. Boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl. Girl falls in love back.


What You Need To Know

  • Squishmallow's are made by Kelly Toys

  • Each stuffed toy is has a name and a bio to match

  • A couple in Northeast Ohio, that happen to be big fans of Squishmallow's, has a memorable story that goes along with their actual proposal

“Yeah, she's beautiful, intelligent. She really just makes me smile every time I'm in the room with her,” said Tabar as he spoke about his fiance. “She always knows how to make me happy. It's unbeatable when you're with her.” 

“I'm grateful to have found my other half,” said McKernan.

Tabar knew this was the woman for him, so he started coming up with a plan on how to propose. If there is one thing McKernan loves almost as much as Tabar, it's Squishmallows. Squishmallows are a plush toy that crept into the hearts of millions worldwide in 2017.

“Each one has their own unique tag and bio about that specific animal,” said McKernan.

Many people collect the toy, sometimes reselling them for hundreds of dollars. Knowing his future fiance loved the huggable toys, Tabar came up with a plan and popped the question. Well, not that question, yet.

“I was like hey, this girl is obsessed with Squishmallow,” said Tabar. “Darn, they're named after people. I wonder if there's a way?”

He tracked down a contact for Kelly Toys and asked if there was any chance they could help make the proposal even more special. His idea was to convince Kelly Toys to name a Squishmallow after McKernan. The response was overwhelming.

“They were thrilled, ecstatic,” said Tabar. “They said this is the first time they've been involved in something like this.”

On a beautiful day on the beach in North Carolina, McKernan got two surprises. The first was a beautiful proposal from the man of her dreams with a ring to match. The second was in a secret envelope.

“I think that was the point where I really started tearing up because it was so sweet and so unexpected,” said McKernan.

Tabar pulled it off. Kelly Toys decided to name their newest Squishmallow after McKernan. “Maggie the Stingray” also has a bio to match.

“Maggie is no ordinary stingray,” read Tabar. “She's a stingray with a degree! Maggie just received her Masters in PA and can't wait to start helping people. This helpful stingray loves cooking, volleyball and of course watching medical shows in her spare time.”

They received love and support from other Squishmallow fans from all over the world. Tabar set a high bar for people everywhere.

“One person said if my fiance doesn't do it like Nick, I don't want it,” said McKernan.