A former patient of Shriners Hospitals for Children returned to the hospital to make a special donation.
Ashleigh Bentz, who uses a prosthesis, donated nearly 600 Barbie dolls with prosthetics and wheelchairs to patients.
She said, “I broke my Barbie dolls legs so they would look like me. My mom hated that. Drove her nuts! She spent her hard-earned money on Barbie dolls. I would turn around and break it because they wouldn’t look like me but now they do.”
She added, “My sister bought my Barbie for me around my birthday and I’ve kept her on my desk since then. Growing up, the only way my Barbie looked like me was if I broke her leg off. I can’t imagine what having one (with a prosthetic leg) would have done for my self-esteem back then.”
Connor Maine, a patient at Shriners, is one of those who received a doll.
Maine said, “I’m going to give the Barbie doll to my sister because it gives an idea to my sister that no one is the same — everyone is unique,”
Elysse Applegate is from Uganda and received a doll that is much more than a toy.
Applegate said, “I love this place, everybody been so nice to me. the doctors and everybody,”
Laura Teague, who heads up Recreational Therapy at the hospital said thanks to Ashleigh the hospital’s Barbie needs are more than fulfilled.
They now have enough barbies to give patients for years to come
Shriners Hospitals for Children is a network of 22 non-profit medical facilities across North America.