Amy Jandrisevits noticed something missing from the dolls children were given: many did not reflect the bodies and experiences of the children holding them. The former pediatric oncology social worker began A Doll Like Me to make that recognition possible.
The shared story traces the project to her dining-room table in Wisconsin in 2014. She makes dolls with individual features such as limb differences, birthmarks, feeding tubes or prosthetics, paying attention to the details that make each recipient unique.
The goal is representation, not a toy that asks a child to imagine away part of themselves. A doll can have the same visible difference as its owner and still simply be a companion for play.
The nonprofit says donations allow it to provide dolls to families at no charge. Behind each finished doll is a practical act of care: taking the time to make something familiar for a child who may rarely find that familiarity on a toy-store shelf.
Sources: Original social story (saved source caption reviewed) A Doll Like Me — Our Dolls