A campaign to create an all-new Barbie kickstarted by the plight of a four-year-old girl who had lost her hair during cancer treatment has inspired Mattel to manufacture a bald version of the famously blonde fashion doll.
But she won't be available in stores.
The doll, who will be a friend of Barbie, will be distributed exclusively to hospitals treating children with cancer throughout the U.S. and Canada, according to Mattel.
The announcement comes after a Facebook group called 'Beautiful and Bald Barbie! Let's see if we can get it made', urged the company to produce the toy in effort to reach girls most affected by hair-loss.
Bald and beautiful: Mattel will distribute the new fashion doll exclusively to hospitals treating children with cancer throughout the U.S. and Canada
According to a press release, the doll will include 'hats, scarves and other fashion accessories to provide girls with a traditional fashion play experience.'
Wigs and head coverings can also be interchanged or completely removed.
The idea for a bald Barbie doll was first inspired by four-year-old Genesis Reyes, from Mineola, Long Island, who had lost her hair after treatment for cancer.
When the youngster announced that she did not feel like a princess without her hair, a parent of another child being treated at the same hospital, asked the CEO of Mattel, a personal friend, to create a one-off Genesis doll.
Longtime friends Jane Bingham and Beckie Sypin, having heard about Genesis' touching story, created the Facebook page in January, asking Mattel to commercially manufacture a similar doll to bring the same joy to other youngsters dealing with hair-loss.
Petition: The announcement comes after a Facebook group called 'Beautiful and Bald Barbie! Let's see if we can get it made', gained momentum
Wigs and head coverings can also be interchanged or completely removed.
The idea for a bald Barbie doll was first inspired by four-year-old Genesis Reyes, from Mineola, Long Island, who had lost her hair after treatment for cancer.
When the youngster announced that she did not feel like a princess without her hair, a parent of another child being treated at the same hospital, asked the CEO of Mattel, a personal friend, to create a one-off Genesis doll.
Longtime friends Jane Bingham and Beckie Sypin, having heard about Genesis' touching story, created the Facebook page in January, asking Mattel to commercially manufacture a similar doll to bring the same joy to other youngsters dealing with hair-loss.
Within three months, the page had earned over 150,000 likes, worldwide headlines, and finally - the attention of Mattel.
New Jersey-based Mrs Bingham, 41, told MailOnline: 'When I read the article about Mattel making a one of a kind bald Barbie for Genesis, I though how wonderful that would be, with so many other children dealing with hair-loss from chemo, aloepcia or trichotillomania.
'I thought we could raise awareness for these conditions. Raise awareness that children get cancer too... It would be a win all around.'
Mrs Bingham, who herself has lost her hair after ongoing chemotherapy treatment for an incurable form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, told how her nine-year-old daughter, Belleliana, first reacted to her hair-loss by trying to mirror the ways she covered her head.
'It takes an emotional toll on the child,' she said. 'I had very long blond hair... She would mimic me and she would try and wrap scarves on her head too.'
She revealed that Belleliana, who also has a close friend with alopecia, was very excited about the idea of a bald Barbie.
New Jersey-based Mrs Bingham, 41, told MailOnline: 'When I read the article about Mattel making a one of a kind bald Barbie for Genesis, I though how wonderful that would be, with so many other children dealing with hair-loss from chemo, aloepcia or trichotillomania.
'I thought we could raise awareness for these conditions. Raise awareness that children get cancer too... It would be a win all around.'
Mrs Bingham, who herself has lost her hair after ongoing chemotherapy treatment for an incurable form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, told how her nine-year-old daughter, Belleliana, first reacted to her hair-loss by trying to mirror the ways she covered her head.
'It takes an emotional toll on the child,' she said. 'I had very long blond hair... She would mimic me and she would try and wrap scarves on her head too.'
She revealed that Belleliana, who also has a close friend with alopecia, was very excited about the idea of a bald Barbie.
Making a difference: Jane Bingham, who has lost her hair after chemotherapy for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, with nine-year-old daughter Belleliana, co-created the Facebook page
Uplifting: Beckie Sypin's daughter Kin Inich, 12, embraced her hair-loss with a creative approach, even letting friends draw on her head
So too is the 12-year-old daughter of Ms Sypin, Kin Inich, who, though perhaps too old for Barbie dolls herself, feels passionately in favour of the idea having lost her own hair after treatment over the past year for leukaemia.
Indeed, Ms Sypin, 32, who lives near Los Angeles, California, described how her Kin had embraced her hair-loss with a creative approach.
'She’s completely crazy with it,' she revealed. 'At first it was hats and scarves... [then she started choosing] the biggest headbands, and in the summer was wearing temporary tatooos, and letting her friends draw faces on her head... It's kind of become a game at our house!'
But though Kin had an admirable attitude, many of the other children she met during treatment had a hard time with their hair-loss.
'Most take the hair loss harder than the diagnosis,' Ms Sypin admitted.
To the ladies' delight, the company's decision to manufacture the one-of-a-kind doll is a philanthropic one.
Mattel has made the 'decision not to sell these dolls at retail stores and profit from them, but rather more directly and immediately get these into the hands of children who can most benefit from a play experience with these dolls'.
The company also plans to donate some of the dolls to National Alopecia Areata Foundation and CureSearch for Children’s Cancer.
Mattel is not the first doll-maker to produce such a toy.
MGA announced in February plans to manufacture a line of bald Bratz and Moxie Girlz dolls set for release in June.
Indeed, Ms Sypin, 32, who lives near Los Angeles, California, described how her Kin had embraced her hair-loss with a creative approach.
'She’s completely crazy with it,' she revealed. 'At first it was hats and scarves... [then she started choosing] the biggest headbands, and in the summer was wearing temporary tatooos, and letting her friends draw faces on her head... It's kind of become a game at our house!'
But though Kin had an admirable attitude, many of the other children she met during treatment had a hard time with their hair-loss.
'Most take the hair loss harder than the diagnosis,' Ms Sypin admitted.
To the ladies' delight, the company's decision to manufacture the one-of-a-kind doll is a philanthropic one.
Mattel has made the 'decision not to sell these dolls at retail stores and profit from them, but rather more directly and immediately get these into the hands of children who can most benefit from a play experience with these dolls'.
The company also plans to donate some of the dolls to National Alopecia Areata Foundation and CureSearch for Children’s Cancer.
Mattel is not the first doll-maker to produce such a toy.
MGA announced in February plans to manufacture a line of bald Bratz and Moxie Girlz dolls set for release in June.
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