What started as fulfilling one simple request from a parent has now turned into a booming nonprofit business for one Wisconsin mom, who sews lookalike dolls for children with illnesses and disabilities.
In 2015, doll maker Amy Jandrisevits was asked by another mother to design a unique doll for her daughter, who had lost her leg due to amputation.
When Amy shared an image of the amputee doll on herFacebookpage, she was soon inundated with orders and requests from other parents who wanted their own children to have dolls that looked just like them, differences and all.
Amy owns A Doll Like Me, where she creates custom dolls that look just like the child who will receive them.
'Differences make kids feel isolated and judged,' Amy toldPeople. 'With the doll, a child sees, "I am not the only one who looks this way…and beautiful enough to be a doll."'
The orders are mostly done for children who won't find dolls that look like them in stores, due to health issues that make their faces, limbs, or skin look different.
'Scars, birthmarks, limb differences, skin coloring, medical equipment... those are all things that you rarely see in dolls, but for kids who have those, it's everything,' Amy said.
Typically, Amy charges around $100 to make each doll and ship it to a person's home.