A Wisconsin woman creates handcrafted dolls depicting children with missing limbs, scars or overcoming other challenges, that look identical to the recipient.
Amy Jandrisevits was employed as a social worker at a hospital and used dolls for therapy to help children before she started A Doll Like Me in 2014 to fill a void she noticed in that role -- the store-bought dolls she used looked nothing like the kids she was trying to help.
"In theory, we say you're beautiful inside and out, but… when we don't provide things with something that looks the way they do, it sends a mixed message," she told HeartThreads.
Her custom dolls became an instant hit online.
She studies photos of the recipients in order to create each doll. It can take up to eight hours to meticulously craft the dolls in the likeness of the child who will receive it. The dolls can cost up to $100 each. Jandrisevits created a GoFundMe account to help cover those costs for families who can't afford one.
"I think that the ultimate way to tell a child that you really are perfect just the way you are is to say, 'And here you go, here's a doll that looks just like you,'"Jandrisevits told HeartThreads.
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