01of 07Maeve and Mairéad ContantAnne ContantSiblings Maeve, 7, and Mairéad Contant, 5, are adopted from China and have albinism, a genetic condition where there is little or no production of the pigment melanin. Mom Anne Contant turned toAmy Jandrisevits, creator ofA Doll Like Me, to see if she could create dolls thatlooked like her daughters.“We really wanted Maeve, and her siblings, Mairéad and Liam, to have have dolls that looked like them,” says Contant. “I looked everywhere, but I was not able to find any Asian dolls that had pure white hair and pale blue eyes.”
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Maeve and Mairéad Contant
Anne Contant
Siblings Maeve, 7, and Mairéad Contant, 5, are adopted from China and have albinism, a genetic condition where there is little or no production of the pigment melanin. Mom Anne Contant turned toAmy Jandrisevits, creator ofA Doll Like Me, to see if she could create dolls thatlooked like her daughters.
“We really wanted Maeve, and her siblings, Mairéad and Liam, to have have dolls that looked like them,” says Contant. “I looked everywhere, but I was not able to find any Asian dolls that had pure white hair and pale blue eyes.”
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Emma Grassi
courtesy a doll like me
At Emma Grassi’s 20-week ultrasound, Brian Grassi and his wife had learned a piece of fibrous tissue was wrapped around their daughter’s developing left arm, acting like a tourniquet and preventing growth below her elbow.
“For me as her father,” says Grassi, “it’s amazing to see a doll that represents my daughter with her limb difference.”
03of 07Zachariah Hayescourtesy a doll like meZachariah Hayes was born with a rare genetic disorder called Facial Infiltrating Lipomatosis, which affects the size of one half of his face.When the 6-year-old received his doll in March, mom Chelsey O’Halloran, 26, was overwhelmed. “A good overwhelmed,” she says, “to see he had something like him.” As for Zachariah, “he loves it, he thinks of it as himself.”
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Zachariah Hayes
Zachariah Hayes was born with a rare genetic disorder called Facial Infiltrating Lipomatosis, which affects the size of one half of his face.
When the 6-year-old received his doll in March, mom Chelsey O’Halloran, 26, was overwhelmed. “A good overwhelmed,” she says, “to see he had something like him.” As for Zachariah, “he loves it, he thinks of it as himself.”
04of 07Hayden Bettscourtesy a doll like meHayden Betts, 8, was born with fibular hemimelia in her left leg, making the limb about 30 percent shorter than her right leg and her tibia bent at an angle.Hayden loves her doll, say her parents Earl and Nicole Betts, because “she’s just like me.” The doll also enables Hayden to explain her condition and the limb-lengthening treatments she is undergoing.
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Hayden Betts
Hayden Betts, 8, was born with fibular hemimelia in her left leg, making the limb about 30 percent shorter than her right leg and her tibia bent at an angle.
Hayden loves her doll, say her parents Earl and Nicole Betts, because “she’s just like me.” The doll also enables Hayden to explain her condition and the limb-lengthening treatments she is undergoing.
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Esmé Adéle Dunkley
Esmé Adéle Dunkley, 16 months, was born missing her left hand, wrist and part of her forearm.
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Jay Salazar
Jay was born with a rare condition called Amniotic Band Syndrome, which affected both of his hands and caused shortened and fused fingers. “We talk about his doll having Lucky Fins just like him,” says Salazar. “I am so thankful Amy created this amazing organization to help all kids feel included.”
07of 07Keagan Cameroncourtesy a doll like meKeagan Cameron, 2, was born with giant congenital nevus, a rare skin condition.“When kids ask, I say he has chocolate chip syndrome, from eating too many,” says Keagan’s mom, Joy Cameron. “I want Keagan to know it’s okay to be different. And the doll has given me confidence — there are a lot of stares.“Joy says Keagan takes his doll “Chip” everywhere, and she is in awe of Jandrisevits' care in making the spots on the doll match Keagan’s. “I thought that was just the most amazing thing,” she says. “This woman is so incredible and everything comes from the heart.”
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Keagan Cameron
Keagan Cameron, 2, was born with giant congenital nevus, a rare skin condition.
“When kids ask, I say he has chocolate chip syndrome, from eating too many,” says Keagan’s mom, Joy Cameron. “I want Keagan to know it’s okay to be different. And the doll has given me confidence — there are a lot of stares.”
Joy says Keagan takes his doll “Chip” everywhere, and she is in awe of Jandrisevits' care in making the spots on the doll match Keagan’s. “I thought that was just the most amazing thing,” she says. “This woman is so incredible and everything comes from the heart.”
source: people.com
