Mattel honours Canadian frontline medical worker with one-of-a-kind Barbie doll

Mattel is honouring six frontline medical workers with a one of a kind Barbie doll in their image – a Canadian among them.

The dolls are part of Mattel’s ongoing Dream Gap Project which introduces girls to women’s stories from all walks of life.

Dr. Chika Stacy Oriuwa is a psychiatry resident at University of Toronto whose work has recognized the importance of children’s mental health. She has also advocated against systemic racism in the healthcare system.

“I remember playing with Barbie as a young girl and imagining them as having the careers I aspired towards, even if the dolls weren’t dressed like that career. Imagining that they were doctors and writers and performers allowed me to live out my dreams at an early age and to explore all the possibilities available to me. I am truly honoured to be a Barbie Role Model and I hope that I can inspire the next generation of girls to set goals and work hard to reach their limitless potential.”

The global lineup of women honoured with a one-of-a-kind doll includes:

• Dr. Chika Stacy Oriuwa, MD (Canada)- A psychiatry resident at the University of Toronto, Canada, Dr. Oriuwa has advocated against systemic racism in healthcare, which has been further highlighted by the pandemic.
• Amy O’Sullivan, RN (United States) – Emergency Room nurse Amy O’Sullivan treated the first COVID-19 patient at the Wycoff Hospital in Brooklyn, NY. O’Sullivan later contracted the disease, and soon after returned to work to continue to help others.
• Dr. Audery Cruz (United States) – Dr. Cruz, a frontline worker from Las Vegas, NV, during the pandemic, joined forces with other Asian-American physicians to fight racial bias and discrimination.
• Professor Sarah Gilbert (United Kingdom) – As a Professor of vaccinology, Professor Gilbert led the development of the University of Oxford vaccine in the U.K.
• Dr. Jaqueline Goes de Jesus (Brazil) – As a biomedical researcher, Dr. Goes is credited for leading the sequencing of the genome of a COVID-19 variant in Brazil.
• Dr. Kirby White (Australia) – As a general practitioner in Australia, Dr. White co-founded Gowns for Doctors, a gown that could be laundered and re-used, allowing frontline workers in Victoria, AU to continue seeing patients during the pandemic.

“Barbie recognizes that all frontline workers have made tremendous sacrifices when confronting the pandemic and the challenges it heightened,” said Lisa McKnight, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Barbie & Dolls, Mattel. “To shine a light on their efforts, we are sharing their stories and leveraging Barbie’s platform to inspire the next generation to take after these heroes and give back. Our hope is to nurture and ignite the imaginations of children playing out their own storyline as heroes.”

To thank all Canadian frontline heroes who have helped in the fight against COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic, Mattel Canada will be making a donation to a local charitable organization.

feature image: Canada NewsWire