Ten-year-old Lamaya Sakales, a survivor of three open heart surgeries, has penned a Change.org petition that asks American Girl to make a doll resembling her: one with a scar down the center of its chest.
Born with a congenital heart defect, ABC News reports that Lamaya “has a scar down the middle of her chest after the surgeries and...[asked] American Girl...to make a doll that looks just like her.”
Lamaya writes in her petition:
“If you make a doll with a chest scar, I and many others will feel safe and normal like it doesn’t have to be a secret. The American girl doll company has a history of embracing diversity and ‘a doll for every Child.’ Please make a doll with a chest scar (or a scar kit) for the many kids who live with scars that show their bravery!”
Christen Sakales, Lamaya’s mother, tells ABC News that her daughter decided to create this petition after noticing that American Girl had begun selling a diabetes kit—an accessory inspired by yet another petition. Lamaya’s petition has already collected over 4,000 signatures. However, the Sakales family has not yet heard from American Girl, nor did the Mattel-owned The Pleasant Company respond to ABC News for the interview.
Says Christen Sakales to ABC News, “There are so many kids who have open-heart surgery scars, and there’s not a lot of awareness out there. This is something they live with for the rest of their lives, and if we can promote awareness and have a little more compassion in this world, it’d be a great thing.”
Contact the author at rachel.vorona.cote@jezebel.com.
Image via Getty.