By Lori Perkins
Image from Mattel
As the country prepares for another wave of COVID hospitalizations, Mattel has released a new line of healthcare and essential worker dolls so that our kids can play their own version of pandemic Grey’s Anatomy.
The new line of "#ThankYouHeroes" consists of six global dolls created to celebrate influential women in healthcare battling Covid-19 on the frontlines. The dolls are based on six real women who are modern real-life heroes of the pandemic and honors them with their own one-of-a-kind doll made in their likeness
According to the Mattel press release, these dolls “are experts in their fields who have shown unprecedented courage during a challenging time, these six role models made a positive impact in their communities, inspiring current and future generations for years to come. “
The global lineup of women honored with a one-of-a-kind doll includes:
Amy O’Sullivan, RN (United States) - Emergency Room nurse Amy O’Sullivan treated the first COVID-19 patient in Brooklyn at the Wyckoff Heights Medical Center, became ill and was intubated, then a few weeks later returned to work to continue taking care of others.
Dr. Audrey Sue Cruz (United States) - Dr. Cruz, a frontline worker from Las Vegas, NV, during the pandemic, joined forces with other Asian-American physicians to fight racial bias and discrimination.
Dr. Chika Stacy Oriuwa (Canada)- A psychiatry resident at the University of Toronto, Canada, Dr. Oriuwa has advocated against systemic racism in healthcare, which has been further highlighted by the pandemic.
Professor Sarah Gilbert (United Kingdom) - As a professor of vaccinology, Professor Gilbert led the development of the University of Oxford vaccine in the U.K.
Dr. Jaqueline Goes de Jesus (Brazil) - As a biomedical researcher, Dr. Goes is credited for leading the sequencing of the genome of a COVID-19 variant in Brazil.
Dr. Kirby White (Australia) - A General Practitioner in Australia, Dr. White co-founded the Gowns for Doctors initiative – by developing a PPE gown that could be laundered and re-used, allowing frontline workers in Victoria, AU to continue seeing patients during the pandemic.”
Lisa McKnight, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Barbie & Dolls, Mattel, said of the new line of dolls, “Barbie recognizes that all frontline workers have made tremendous sacrifices when confronting the pandemic and the challenges it heightened. To shine a light on their efforts, we are sharing their stories and leveraging Barbie’s platform to inspire the next generation to take after these heroes and give back. Our hope is to nurture and ignite the imaginations of children playing out their own storyline as heroes.”
Barbie® will donate $5 for each Barbie doctor, nurse or paramedic doll sold* at participating Target locations during the month of August to First Responders Children’s Foundation (FRCF), benefiting the children of first responders.