Mattel launches Barbie with Type 1 diabetes and a glucose monitor
Barbie extends his repertoire with the launch of a doll that suffers from type 1 diabetes and is equipped with medical devices, such as a portable insulin pump, commonly used by people with the condition.
Mattel announced on Tuesday the new member of his line Barbie Fashionistas, saying that it does not only allow children to see themselves in the doll, but also encourages the game “which extends beyond the lived experience of a child”. The doll has a continuous glucose instructor attached to his arm and an insulin pump attached to its size.
Krista Berger, principal vice-president of Barbie and world doll chief, said in a press release that the doll “marks an important step in our commitment to inclusiveness”.
“Barbie helps shape the first perceptions of children on the world, and reflecting medical conditions such as T1D, we make sure that more children can be seen in the stories they imagine and the dolls they love,” said Berger.
The Mayo clinic defines type 1 diabetes as a chronic condition that translates when the pancreas of a person creates little or no insulin, the hormone which helps glucose to enter the cells, where it is broken. A glucose monitor allows someone with the condition of keeping trace of their sugar levels and injecting insulin to help your body treat glucose.
An insulin pump is a portable device that allows easy insulin supply in the body.
More than 18,000 young people under the age of 20 received a diabetes of type 1 diabetes in the United States last year, according to centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency indicated that there had been an increase of approximately 2% per year in the cases diagnosed between 2002 and 2018.
Barbie has teamed up with the Breakthrough T1D non -profit organization in the development of its new doll and to ensure a precise reflection of the devices, the press release said. Breakthrough CEO T1D, Aaron J. Kowalski, said that he was “delighted” when the company proposed a collaboration.
“I have lived with the T1D since I was 13 years old and my brother since he was 3 years old, so this partnership is deeply personal – this means that the world is part of the visibility of greater visibility to a condition that affects so many families,” said Kowalski.
A link to buy the doll on the Mattel website seems to have already criticisms of parents who have received the doll, as the website notes the opinions are “encouraged”.
A parent wrote that they had given the doll to their 7 -year -old daughter and it opened a conversation on diabetes. Another parent called him an “excellent addition” to the Barbie brand.
“We have a friend of the nearby family who is T1D, so it was an excellent opportunity to explain what every article was and what he does to help people in safety and healthy,” the revision said.
