This Woman Is Creating Look-Alike Dolls For Kids With Disabilities And It’s Touching Everyone’s Hearts
A doll means the whole world when you’re a kid. But imagine how it’d feel to realize your plushy friend looks nothing like you. Especially when a kid is unique in his own beautiful way.
Wisconsin-based woman Amy Jandrisevits is making sure no kid ever feels different. She has been creating dolls that look just like their little owners with disabilities, coming in all shapes and forms, with unique conditions and bodily features, for quite a while now. We previously wrote about her wonderful project “A Doll Like Me” a year ago as she was just starting up. Today, her unique dolls are bringing joy to kids from all over the world. With almost 43K likes on her Facebook page, Amy has warmed so many hearts in a way that no medicine could.
More info: Facebook | Instagram | GoFundMe
Former social worker Amy is sewing dolls that look just like kids with disabilities for her non-profit “A Doll Like Me”
Image credits: nannysbabiestoodollslikeme
Every kid can feel loved and included just by looking at their plushy dolls’ faces
Image credits: nannysbabiestoodollslikeme
Image credits: nannysbabiestoodollslikeme
Image credits: nannysbabiestoodollslikeme
Image credits: nannysbabiestoodollslikeme
According to Today, Amy made her first Doll Like Me around 5 years ago when her friend’s child, who’s transgender, was transitioning. When the friend posted the image online, people started asking Amy if she could make one for their kids too.
“It is a really hard sell to tell a kid, ‘You are perfect the way you are,’ and to build self-esteem that way but never offer them anything that looks like them,” she said. “We are going to change the story.”
Image credits: nannysbabiestoodollslikeme
Image credits: nannysbabiestoodollslikeme
Image credits: nannysbabiestoodollslikeme
Despite a waiting list of two years, Amy puts all her love and attention into every single doll she has ever made. “I am invited to such an intimate part of families’ lives,” she told People, “I love that connection.”
Every doll is custom made at her living room table since Amy is a stay-at-home mom with a very good sense of the toy market. She’s also an avid doll collector and a former pediatric oncology social worker who managed to combine her passion for social work and doll craft.
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Image credits: nannysbabiestoodollslikeme
Amy is hoping her project could inspire a change towards inclusivity and representation
Image credits: nannysbabiestoodollslikeme
Image credits: nannysbabiestoodollslikeme
Image credits: nannysbabiestoodollslikeme
Image credits: nannysbabiestoodollslikeme
Image credits: nannysbabiestoodollslikeme
Image credits: nannysbabiestoodollslikeme
Image credits: nannysbabiestoodollslikeme
Image credits: nannysbabiestoodollslikeme
“A Doll Like Me” gives kids that much-needed boost of confidence
Image credits: nannysbabiestoodollslikeme
Image credits: nannysbabiestoodollslikeme
Image credits: nannysbabiestoodollslikeme
Image credits: nannysbabiestoodollslikeme
Amy, who’s a mom herself, has put all her heart into sewing dolls from home
Image credits: nannysbabiestoodollslikeme
Image credits: nannysbabiestoodollslikeme
Image credits: nannysbabiestoodollslikeme
Image credits: nannysbabiestoodollslikeme
People praised Amy for her beautiful mission
There are few things that are simultaneously adorable, joyous, and heartbreaking, but this is one of them. What this woman is doing is wonderful.
This lady should be paid by the health system to do these dolls. BRILLIANT!
This is such a lovely thing to do. Thank you for giving me hope for our species.
Yes, not all humans are trash. Most are but not all...
Load More Replies...When I was little, my mom's leg had to be amputated due to cancer. Our family thought it would scare me, so my uncle got a baby doll, amputated its leg and made a pair of crutches for it. I got to play with the doll before my mom came home from the hospital, so the idea was familiar to me by the time I saw her. This was back in the 1970s and it made the local newspaper. Very cool experience and this is a wonderful thing this woman is doing for these kids.
I might have shed a tear or two... ;) These kids and their dolls are BEAUTIFUL. Thank you for people like you.
What a beautiful and amazing thing! The world needs so many more just like this!
Amazingly heartwarming. I wish there were a lot more folks like Amy in this world.
It's stuff like this will change the world. One good heart and soul at a time
This woman is doing such a beautiful work! It is humanity, as much as art and love. This is magnificent and must be honored with more than the admission we make here for her
I love this. 2 of my kids have disabilities. And while one is invisible (he's deaf) the other wears it on her skin every day. Both realized they were different right around kindergarten and it broke their hearts. It was older kids and their parents who made them realize it. I wonder if something like this would have helped. I cried with every picture.
OMG, those vids made my day!!!!! thank u for doing what u do, Amy and keep on doing it!!
I'm a very critical person who usually notices every detail but it actually took me a while to notice the cool things about them because I was so focused on the dolls and how cute the kids were :) I do feel bad for the kids with the skin problems because I feel like for someone's skin to peel off or hurt every day must be so painful :(
These dolls teach kids that they are adorable, and worth hugging and loving. THANKS AMY!
I just don'tget it why is everybody allowed to make profit of any sh*t imaginable, but if it comes to something meaningful it has to be non-profit? Just grant people to make a living from their work, even if it makes sense!
The little girl with no lower arms/legs made me cry. I am so happy to see her happy!
Those kids are so extremely adorable. All of them, with all their uniqueness.
There are few things that are simultaneously adorable, joyous, and heartbreaking, but this is one of them. What this woman is doing is wonderful.
This lady should be paid by the health system to do these dolls. BRILLIANT!
This is such a lovely thing to do. Thank you for giving me hope for our species.
Yes, not all humans are trash. Most are but not all...
Load More Replies...When I was little, my mom's leg had to be amputated due to cancer. Our family thought it would scare me, so my uncle got a baby doll, amputated its leg and made a pair of crutches for it. I got to play with the doll before my mom came home from the hospital, so the idea was familiar to me by the time I saw her. This was back in the 1970s and it made the local newspaper. Very cool experience and this is a wonderful thing this woman is doing for these kids.
I might have shed a tear or two... ;) These kids and their dolls are BEAUTIFUL. Thank you for people like you.
What a beautiful and amazing thing! The world needs so many more just like this!
Amazingly heartwarming. I wish there were a lot more folks like Amy in this world.
It's stuff like this will change the world. One good heart and soul at a time
This woman is doing such a beautiful work! It is humanity, as much as art and love. This is magnificent and must be honored with more than the admission we make here for her
I love this. 2 of my kids have disabilities. And while one is invisible (he's deaf) the other wears it on her skin every day. Both realized they were different right around kindergarten and it broke their hearts. It was older kids and their parents who made them realize it. I wonder if something like this would have helped. I cried with every picture.
OMG, those vids made my day!!!!! thank u for doing what u do, Amy and keep on doing it!!
I'm a very critical person who usually notices every detail but it actually took me a while to notice the cool things about them because I was so focused on the dolls and how cute the kids were :) I do feel bad for the kids with the skin problems because I feel like for someone's skin to peel off or hurt every day must be so painful :(
These dolls teach kids that they are adorable, and worth hugging and loving. THANKS AMY!
I just don'tget it why is everybody allowed to make profit of any sh*t imaginable, but if it comes to something meaningful it has to be non-profit? Just grant people to make a living from their work, even if it makes sense!
The little girl with no lower arms/legs made me cry. I am so happy to see her happy!
Those kids are so extremely adorable. All of them, with all their uniqueness.
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