Toys have come a long way since the days of the traditional Barbie, whose appearance resembled only a tiny minority of women and girls. In 2019, you can walk into any toy shop and you’ll see dolls of various skin colours and shapes – not with only Caucasian skin and hourglass figures.
Amy Jandrisevits, a social worker who worked in paediatric oncology during the 1990s, used play therapy with dolls during children’s time with her. She noticed that the dolls – often Cabbage Patch Kids – were a mainstream representation of what society saw as ‘typical.’
“I thought, these kids need something that looks like they do,” Jandrisevits told People last month.
But it wasn’t until 2015, when a mother whose daughter lost a leg to amputation asked if she could make a doll that looked like her daughter, that the long-time hobby craftswoman started her non-profit organisation, A Doll Like Me.
Jandrisevits later posted her creation on Facebook and received an overwhelming response, and many orders. Since then, she has dedicated her life to making dolls for children.
Every doll is carefully handmade by the now 46-year-old mum of three, usually from a photo sent by the parents. Jandrisevits pays close attention to the detail that makes each child unique, and designs their doll accordingly.
It’s a time-consuming labour of love, but as she explains on her page, it’s also a vitally important one.
“Everyone should have something to cuddle, everyone should have a doll that looks like them (especially when you don’t have any hair!), and medical play is helpful for psychosocial adjustment.”
The importance of dolls in which children can see themselves is more significant than we may at first realise, says Dr Trupti Prasad, a Community Paediatrician in Melbourne.
“This is an absolutely gorgeous concept,” Dr Prasad told Mamamia about the A Doll Like Me product.
“Children with differences and disabilities deserve to be seen.
“Representation is very important for self-esteem and boosting confidence.”
Dr Prasad added that the dolls offer a sense of inclusion as a valued individual, too.
“Being seen as a person, rather than being othered, is vital – especially for children,” she said.
Jandrisevits has now designed and made almost 400 of the special dolls literally at her Wisconsin dining room table.
This means 400 children with missing limbs, cleft palates, albinism, birthmarks and other atypical appearances now have a toy that celebrates them.
There is currently a waiting list of about two years, but if there is an order from a terminally ill child, their doll is prioritised, because Jandrisevits knows how meaningful it would be to them at that time.
An example of one of the children the doll-maker has helped is 2-year-old Keagan Cameron, who, due to a skin condition, has brown birthmarks covering his body.
“When kids ask, I say Keagan has chocolate chip syndrome, from eating too many,” Keagan’s mother, Joy Cameron, told People.
“I want Keagan to know it’s okay to be different.”
Jandrisevits made Chip, a doll covered in brown spots, for Keagan, and the boy and doll have been inseparable ever since.
The doll has also changed Keagan’s life. As Jandrisevits reported on Instagram, “His mom said that having him with his doll gave her the courage to put him (and Chip!) in a tank top for the first time in his life.”
It was an extremely satisfying moment for Jandrisevits.
“THAT is what I’m talking about when I say that we HAVE to change the narrative,” she added.
“We have to change WHO we see and HOW we see them and how we decide to talk about them…because ultimately don’t we all want the same things for our kids?”
The cost of a doll is approximately $100, but Jandrisevits knows there are families for whom that is unaffordable. It’s why she created a GoFundMe page four years ago, so she can give dolls to children in need.
For her immense efforts, the doll-maker recently received a GoFundMe Hero award. But whilst Jandrisevits was honoured by the award, she isn’t doing it for any recognition, nor profit.
But she does hope to change people’s perspectives and make the lives of children better.
Her GoFundMe page says, “Dolls are therapeutic, validating, and comforting.
“It is a human likeness and by extension, a representation of the child who loves it.
“I am a doll-maker who feels that every kid, regardless of gender, ethnicity, age, medical issue, or body type, should look into the sweet face of a doll and see their own.”