Barbie honors ‘real-life pandemic heroes’

CALIFORNIA – A group of six women from different countries are the inspiration for the newest additions to the #ThankYouHeroes line from the American toy company Mattel.

Barbie honor front-line medical workers and researchers in light of their tireless hard work and sacrifices in the fight against novel COVID-19. These women are experts in their fields who have shown unprecedented courage during a challenging time and to shine a light on their efforts, we are sharing their stories and leveraging Barbie’s platform to inspire the next generation, the company said.

The toy company also revealed that the new line aimed to nurture the children playing out their own storylines as real-life heroes. A statement issued by Global Head of Barbie & Dolls Lisa McKnight stated “We know the pandemic has been felt directly by children across the globe and as the top doll brand, we take great pride in leveraging Barbie’s platform to teach children about role models who are making a positive impact in our world; especially those who rose to the occasion during this challenging time”.

Oxford professor Sarah Gilbert, who co-developed the AstraZeneca vaccine Covid vaccine is among the prestigious list of women who have new Barbies modeled after them.

The 59-year-old revealed that she found the creation ‘very strange’ at first. It’s a very strange concept having a doll created like me, she said in an interview adding that she hopes it will be part of making it more normal for girls to think about careers in modern science. She further added, “My wish is that my doll will show children careers they may not be aware of, like a vaccinologist”.

Amy O’Sullivan, a nurse at the Wyckoff Heights Medical Center in Brooklyn who reportedly contracted Covid after getting in contact with the first known COVID patient in Brooklyn is also on the list. O’Sullivan even gets intubated after getting positive for the novel disease, the gutsy nurse later returned to the emergency room where she worked to treat other Covid patients.

The doll of the US nurse has hand-painted tattoos, silver hair, and colorful socks after Sullivan who was touched by the details of the toy. Narrating the ordeal she faced while having body tattoos and funky hairs, she said “I didn’t want to be like anyone else and I think it shows that it’s okay to be different”. Adding that, “the toy will encourage the minor to be themselves.”

Kirby White, an Australian physician, will also be getting her own doll as she designed reusable gowns for medical professionals during the Covid pandemic – as earlier a number of physicians used throwaway gowns.

The Victoria-based medical expert also holds the Local Hero Award in the Australian of the Year Awards.

I was inspired to create the gowns after the clinic experienced a shortage just three weeks into the COVID-19 pandemic back in 2020, she said. Her initiative has produced more than 5,000 gowns after a campaign raised more than $40,000 to develop them.

Dr. Audrey Sue Cruz, a US medical physician who is also a lifestyle blogger, has also been listed among the six pandemic heroes. She worked in both hospital and clinic settings to battle the catastrophic surge in the US.

The Las Vegas based medical export collaborated with other Asian-American physicians to create a viral video accompanied by the hashtag #IAmNotAVirus and get huge applause for fight racial bias and discrimination. Commenting on being listed by Barbie, she said I’m so incredibly honored to be a Barbie Role Model. She also expressed hope to hear the brave stories of others that make difference.

A Canadian physician, Dr. Chika Stacy Oriuwa also honored as a modern-day life hero. The physician, who expressed gratitude on getting listed, said she hopes the creation of a ‘one-of-a-kind’ doll will show kids there aren’t any limits on their play or their potential.

The 27-year-old psychiatry resident at the University of Toronto said “What is even more beautiful about this opportunity is that the Barbie is a Black female doctor that is made in my image. That really speaks to my core value and my core belief that you can truly become anything and you can truly occupy any space and thrive.”

Doctor Jaqueline Goes de Jesus, who conducted the genome sequencing of the Brazilian variant of the deadly virus, is also among six women who inspired Mattel’s special collection of Barbies honoring front-line workers. She is a biomedical researcher and post-doctoral fellow for the CADDE Project.