Like many mothers of children with Down syndrome, Connie Feda was frustrated by the lack of dolls that looked like her daughter. But unlike thousands of others who suffer in silence, Connie decided to do something about it.
The US mother-of-six, who lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has created a range of dolls that have the same distinctive facial features of her youngest daughter Hannah, 13, and other kids with Down’s.
Connie dreamt up the idea for her Dolls For Downs project after her daughter complained that none of the dolls in a toy catalogue looked like her.
“I wanted Hannah to see a doll with Down syndrome and see something beautiful, because that’s what I see when I look at her,” Connie told the Huffington Post.
“I want to represent children with disabilities in an honest, favourable light.”
Dolls For Downs toys are due to hit shelves in May. They will sell for $87.50 and the worldwide demand is expected to be huge.
And the dolls aren’t just for fun — they come with clothing complete with zippers, Velcro, buttons and ties to help kids develop motor skills.
