Mattel Will Produce a Bald Barbie Doll in Response to Facebook Campaign
Mattel to Release Special Edition Bald Barbie
A campaign to get toy company Mattel to make a bald Barbie doll to help make sick kids feel better about themselves has paid off.
We've followed the quest for a bald Barbie, from the initial Facebook campaign for a Beautiful and Bald Barbie created by a group of determined parents, to this excting news.
The company finally announced their plans to create the new doll in response to a campaign that sought to get the doll made for kids battling cancer and other diseases that result in hair loss.
Read: Mattel Responds to Bald Barbie Facebook Campaign
One of the campaign's creators, Rebecca Sypin, was instrumental in getting Mattel to take action. The Beautiful and Bald Barbie Facebook page has racked up more than 150,000 likes for the cause.
It was enough to get the attention of Mattel, who initially said they didn't create new dolls based on suggestions from outside sources.
Mattel finally listened to the growing demand for this kind of doll, who will release a bald friend of Barbie, complete with accessories like wigs, hats and scarves.
They'll begin production next year, and while the doll will not be sold in stores, Mattel will give them directly to children who suffer from hair loss in children's hospitals, as well as to the Children's Cancer and the National Alopecia Areata foundations.
While Mattel heeded the request for the unique dolls, some are criticizing the company for not making the dolls available in retail stores.
The toy manufacturing giant issued a statement that said their decision to distribute these special edition Barbies to hospitals was to "get the dolls directly into the hands of children who can most benefit from the unique play experience."
See: Star Wars Toys Mashed Up With Doll Parts (Photos)
Mattel wrote on its Facebook page:
"Play is vital for children, especially during difficult times.... For those girls who choose, the wigs and head coverings can be interchanged or completely removed. We will work with our longstanding partner, the Children's Hospital Association, to donate and distribute the dolls exclusively to children's hospitals directly reaching girls who are most affected by hair loss. A limited number of dolls and monetary donations will also be made to CureSearch for Children's Cancer and the National Alpecia Areata Foundation."
It's a nice first step, though it would be great to eventually get these dolls on store shelves, too.
