Chloe Newman, an 18-year-old girl without a limb collected hundreds of Barbie dolls with a prosthetic leg to donate to local hospital for children like her.
When Chloe was one-year-old, her parents from Kazakhstan adopted her. She wore a prosthetic leg since then so she knows how kids in the same situation feel. This is why when Mattel introduced its stylish Barbie dolls with wheelchairs and prosthetic legs, Chloe thought of getting the dolls for kids with a prosthetic leg, knowing those dolls would mean a lot to them.
“I think that they would feel better about themselves maybe, or at least that’s what I’m hoping that they would say, ‘Oh that’s really cool, they’re making a Barbie like me, so why would I be ashamed of myself if there’s now toys like me,” Chloe said.
Shriners Hospitals for Children
Chloe was very thrilled to get a lot of Barbie dolls but her journey hasn’t been easy. At first, she contacted Mattel and asked about buying the dolls in bulk but she never got a response.
Next, Chloe and her mother Cindy tried Amazon. However, the dolls were limited to only 20 pieces per customer. Cindy didn’t give up, though; instead, she turned to Facebook, offering reimbursement to anyone who would buy the Barbie dolls for her.
She wrote on Facebook: “If you’re out shopping if you see five (dolls), get them and I’ll reimburse you.”
At first, she thought only a few people would take her offer but she was so surprised when the Barbie dolls kept arriving at her place in Mechanicville, New York.
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Chloe had to collect the 100 dolls to bring them out there. “I didn’t want to bring them out in dribs and drabs,” she said.
Chloe was overwhelmed yet grateful for all the support she’s getting and not one person wanted to accept her offer of reimbursement. “I was sitting next to my computer like crying,” Chloe said. “I was like, ‘Oh my gosh! How, how?’ This is great!”
On top of what they have collected from relatives and friends, Mattel donated another 200 dolls to Shriners, the hospital where Cindy had her prosthetic treatment since she was a child.
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The hospital has been very helpful to Chloe and her family since she was a child. Chloe got a new, state-of-the-art leg as she grew without any fee. Because her prosthetic leg has a moveable ankle, she’s able to wear sneakers or even high heels just like other women her age.
Cindy Newman said that her daughter can do everything a typical teenage girl can do. She also expressed her gratitude towards the local hospital which was a huge part of her daughter’s personal growth. According to her, four hundred Barbie dolls doesn’t sound a lot compared to all the help they have received from the hospital.
Because Shriners Hospital for Children has 22 locations in which 17 of them have Pediatric Orthotic and Prosthetic Services departments, they are planning to distribute the donated dolls to patients across North America.
Chloe hopes that these Barbie dolls can help prevent kids from having negative feelings about their physical appearance and to see their prosthetic leg as a beautiful part of their bodies. She also hopes that toy companies can create toys for little boys with the same concept.
Watch the video below and learn more about this amazing teen who donated Barbie dolls to a local hospital :