We never ceased to be amazed by the lengths that parents will go to in order to support their children and we’ll admit that this story definitely pulled on our heartstrings.
A mother has created a range of Down Syndrome Dolls inspired by her daughter so her daughter can see “something beautiful” every time she plays.
The Daily Mail reports that Connie Feda from Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania started making a mini-me version of her daughter Hannah after Hannah (who has Downs) complained that none of the dolls in a toy brochure looked like her.
Seeing how much joy the mini-me brought Hannah, Connie decided to turn her project into a full-time occupation and launched ‘Dolls for Downs’ – a doll company that wants to give other Downs children “a friend for life.”
“I asked Hannah what her favourite part of the doll is and she said, ‘I love her because she’s so pretty and because she is mine,’” said Connie.
Connie hopes her dolls can give children with Down Syndrome a friend for life
On her Facebook page, Connie states that her mission is to simply “represent children with disabilities in an honest, favourable light.”
“I want Hannah to see a doll with Down Syndrome and see something beautiful, because that’s what I see when I look at her,” said Connie.
The dolls have characteristics that are typically associated with Down Syndrome and come with changeable outfits that are designed to help children develop important motor skills.
With minimal cash to invest in the project, Connie has spent most of her time fundraising in order to get the project off the ground.
“A number of people have come forward to help in ways that I didn’t expect or anticipate,” said Connie.
Each doll is expected to be priced at around €60 and currently available to pre-order online.
