Sick Girl Dreams of Doll That Reflects Her Beauty, Finally Gets One for Christmas

When a mother of an 8-year-old girl with alopecia went inside a popular doll store, she couldn't control her tears when she saw bald dolls on display. She later expressed her feelings in a Facebook post that went viral in no time.

When Mia was four years old, the doctors diagnosed her with alopecia areata, which caused all her hair to fall off. Going bald at such a young age wasn't easy for her, but her mother, Meredith Bailey, ensured that she didn't feel underconfident around other girls her age.

The Massachusetts mother thought gifting a bald doll to her daughter would help her feel empowered, but she had no idea that it would raise a question in Mia's mind that Bailey couldn't answer.

A Special Surprise

Bailey knew her daughter wanted a doll, so she went to an American Girl outlet on Mia's birthday in 2015. Inside the store, Bailey looked for a bald doll that Mia could relate to, but she couldn't find any.

Curious, she asked the staff about bald dolls and learned buyers could place an order for them. The store did not display the bald dolls back then.

Bailey thought her daughter would love playing with a bald American Girl doll, so she immediately placed an order and gifted it to Mia for Christmas that year. Bailey revealed:

"It was her number one Christmas present, and luckily, good old Santa Claus pulled through and got her one."

On finding the unique doll for her daughter, Bailey added, "I knew she wanted the doll, but I didn't realize the happiness it would bring. I can't put it into words—she had a doll that was just like her—it was a piece of her."

The Unexpected Reaction

While gifting the doll to her daughter, Bailey had no idea that Mia would soon ask her questions that would leave her speechless. She wasn't expecting Mia to come up with such interesting queries.

On Mia's 8th birthday, Bailey took her to the American Girl store and saw something that made her cry.

The doll was Mia's best gift on Christmas, but looking at it made her wonder if other children also bought bald dolls, so she asked her mother about it.

Bailey assured Mia that other kids also liked such dolls by explaining that the doll might resemble one of their friends or they buy it thinking it is pretty.

Little did she know that Mia would come up with another thought-provoking question. She asked her mother why the bald dolls weren't displayed at the store if they were so frequently bought. The question left Bailey speechless and made her wonder why buyers had to place an order to buy a bald doll.

Another Trip to the Store

Bailey thought if Mia and other girls with alopecia walked into the toy store, they would feel out of place because they wouldn't be able to relate to dolls with long and luscious hair.

On Mia's 8th birthday, Bailey took her to the American Girl store and saw something that made her cry. A bald doll on display caught the pair's attention, and they were delighted to see how things had changed over time.

Walked further into the store, they saw another doll with no hair inside a glass display. Seeing dolls representing girls like her daughter made Bailey emotional, and she couldn't control her tears inside the store.

Feeling Emotional

Before leaving, Bailey approached a manager and thanked the staff for putting bald dolls on display. She told him how happy Mia felt after knowing they gave equal importance to dolls that looked like her.

Since Bailey thought sharing her feelings with the manager wasn't enough, she penned a heartfelt note and posted it on American Girl's Facebook page. She said:

"It means more than you know. I cried many happy tears yesterday."

The Impact

Bailey believed bald dolls in toy stores could spark meaningful conversations between children and parents and give parents a chance to educate their kids about alopecia.

Such conversations would normalize children having no hair, and she wouldn't have to see people look at Mia in shock whenever the little girl went out in public without covering her head with a wig or a hat. Bailey said:

"We are different. Toys should be different too."

Way to go, Bailey and Mia! We hope the little girl keeps asking thought-provoking questions that can help her mother raise awareness about such important topics. Share this story with your friends and family to help Bailey spread the word.

Click here to read another story about a 2-year-old girl with Down syndrome who was gifted a doll that looked exactly like her. Her sweet reaction melted everyone's hearts.