An 18-year-old girl who was born without a leg was thrilled when she heard Mattel had created a Barbie for people who live with a prosthetic leg.
Chloe Newman wants to ensure people like her would also get their hands on the dolls, so she decided to donate over 400 Barbie dolls with prosthetic legs to a local hospital in Springfield, Massachusetts.
The New York teen told WWLP: “I think [the patients] would feel better about themselves. That they would see, ‘Wow, they are making a Barbie like me, so why should I be ashamed of myself if there’s now toys like me?’”
Chloe has Amniotic Band Syndrome, a rare condition that occurs when the inner layer of the placenta is damaged during pregnancy. The amniotic bands or thin strands of the tissue form and tangle around the developing fetus and restrict blood circulation.
ABS can cause congenital deformities of limbs, and in some cases, amniotic bands can tangle so tightly around the limbs that doctors have to amputate them.
Every year, Chloe receives a new prosthetic leg from Shriner’s Pediatric Orthotic and Prosthetic Services unit, where mom Cindy Newman adopted her.
Newman said that her daughter wanted to donate dolls to patients in the hospital, so she went to a local store but found only four of the special Barbie.
That’s when Newman took to social media and solicited donations from family and friends, hoping they could buy enough dolls for all the patients receiving prosthetic limbs at the hospital.
“If you’re out shopping, if you see five [dolls]. Get them and I’ll reimburse you,” her post read.
The mom-daughter team managed to hit their goal within the day but kept receiving dolls, including 200 from Mattel!
“The whole point was to give back to Shriners because we’ve received so much,” Newman told CNN.
What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments section and SHARE this story with your family and friends!
Recommended Video For You! :)
“Picking Her Nose To Go Out For A Drink… Woman With Prosthetic Nose Has Special Red ‘drunk Nose’”
[rumble video_id=v5b30h domain_id=u7nb2]