Ella Rogers’ family was grateful to the toy company, Mattel, because they were able to gift their daughter a doll which looked just like her.
The two-year-old was born with spina bifida, a birth defect where the baby’s spinal cord doesn’t develop fully. Her mother, Lacey, bought the doll from Mattel’s new Fashionista line, as it was in a wheelchair, just like Ella. “Mattel has included my daughter,” she said. “As somebody that has a special needs child, that means the world to them.”
When Ella received the doll, she was over the moon. See her adorable reaction in the video. Even though she cannot speak, she loved receiving a Barbie that looked like her. “It brings me a lot of joy,” Lacey said.
“It brings them a lot of joy as well because they can relate. It’s not just a Barbie that stands. It’s a Barbie in a wheelchair,” she added. “It helps them feel like they’re included.”
