"I wanted to show Dixie that other children are like her too," her mom said.
This British 3-year-old wears hearing aids, and now her doll does too.
Dixie Harris-Sandstrom, of London, is enamored by her custom-made doll that sports a bright blue hearing aid just like she does.
Her mom, Amy Harris-Sandstrom, said she made the special purchase to help her daughter feel like she fit in.
"I wanted to show Dixie that other children are like her too," Harris-Sandstrom told Caters News. "I didn't want her to think she was abnormal for having hearing aids, and I felt it was important to challenge the stereotype of how a normal doll should look."
In addition, Harris-Sandstrom picked a doll with darker skin to help her daughter realize that not all little girls look alike.
Dixie was born with severe hearing loss in both ears, and will always have to wear hearing aids. She communicates using a combination of sign language and speaking.
She also has a chromosome condition that affects her growth and motor skills.
"I try to portray Dixie's disability as super powers, not a disability, and I'm hoping she'll think the same once she fully understands," her mom said.
Harris-Sandstrom said she shares her daughter's photos and videos online, hoping to help others see her for who she really is.
"She has just a great personality and it's important for people to see that she's just a typical 3-year-old," her mom said.
RELATED STORIES
