Barbie designed dolls based on six women who strived to help people during the pandemic.
Mattel is thanking frontline workers with a special line of dolls. The collection is exclusive to Target stores and Mattel is donating $5 from the purchase of each doll to the First Responders Children’s Foundation (FRCF), an organization that supports children and families of first responders.
Barbie chose six women from around the world who have made a difference during the COVID-19 crisis and made a doll in their image. These dolls won’t be available for purchase, but fans can choose from nurse, doctor, and paramedic dolls. Mattel also created a special medical cast clinic playset complete with an exam table, x-ray machine, and cast-making materials.
Barbie honored six women from five different countries with a doll made in their likenesses. The group includes doctors, nurses, and medical researchers:
- Amy O’Sullivan, RN, United States - Sickened after treating the first COVID patient in Brooklyn, New York; Sullivan became ill and ended up on a ventilator. After she recovered, she went back to the same hospital to treat patients.
Courtesy of Freeform (Facebook)
- Dr. Audrey Sue Cruz, United States - Worked with her Asian-American colleagues to fight discrimination and racial bias as well as the coronavirus in Las Vegas.
Courtesy of Freeform (Facebook)
- Dr. Chika Stacy Oriuwa, Canada - As a psychiatry resident, she has fought against racism in healthcare, a problem even more prevalent in the pandemic.
Courtesy of Freeform (Facebook)
- Professor Sarah Gilbert, United Kingdom - Led the development of a COVID-19 vaccine at the University of Oxford.
Courtesy of Freeform (Facebook)
- Dr. Jaqueline Goes de Jesus, Brazil - A biomedical researcher responsible for identifying the genome of a COVID-19 variant impacting Brazil.
Courtesy of Freeform (Facebook)
- Dr. Kirby White, Australia - Helped address the shortage of PPE by developing a gown that could be washed and reused called the Gowns for Doctors initiative.
Courtesy of Freeform (Facebook)
This isn’t the first time Mattel has lent a hand to frontline workers. In 2020, the company created the #ThankYouHeroes program and raised money that helped pay for hotel rooms, food, and other necessities for frontline workers.
What do you think of these Barbies? Do they represent and honor the work of these women? Share your thoughts in the comments.