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Nonprofit gets surprise donation from 7-year-old
A New Berlin woman's nonprofit makes custom dolls for kids who are missing limbs or have skin conditions. A local girl sponsored one of those dolls.
NEW BERLIN, Wis. - For children who are missing limbs or have skin conditions, finding a doll that looks like them is possible thanks to a New Berlin woman who has made more than a thousand custom dolls over the past decade.
A Doll Like Me
Local perspective:
Amy Jandrisevits is a master with a needle and thread, but the real magic comes with her finished product.
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"I make dolls for kids who don’t see themselves in the places that matter – namely the toys that they play with," she said.
A Doll Like Me
A decade ago, Jandrisevits started the nonprofit A Doll Like Me in her living room. She relies on donations, and this past May, one donation left her bursting at the seams.
"It was late one night, we heard a knock at the door and I look out – a little girl in a pink coat went running down the driveway. The jar was sitting on my porch," she said.
Sponsor surprise
What they're saying:
The mystery donor was 7-year-old Norah Ducat. She pooled all her birthday money, allowance and coins in her piggy bank to sponsor a doll.
"Helping people is kind," she said.
Amy Jandrisevits
Jandrisevits got to work and crafted a doll for a girl named Bonnie in the U.K. Bonnie’s arm was amputated during her battle with terminal cancer.
Ducat’s mom, Jennie, hopes her daughter’s kindness is contagious – and Jandrisevits can’t do it alone.
"She said, ‘She can just have it all.’ I had to step away. I cried," said Jennie Ducat, her mother. "It’s really sad to know there are over 2,000 kids on the waiting list waiting for a doll."
How to donate
What you can do:
It took Jandrisevits a decade to reach a milestone of 1,500 custom dolls. They've been sent to all 50 states and 36 countries. She hopes someone will step up with a corporate donation so she can keep up with demand.
"Kindness is a superpower. I think that we underestimate how it can change someone’s life," said Jandrisevits.
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And after bringing joy and peace to so many kids, Jandrisevits’ superpower is her determination to keep going. A Doll Like Me could also use someone extra who can sew.
If you'd like to donate or help, find more information on the nonprofit's website.
The Source: FOX6 News interviewed the people featured in this story and referenced information from A Doll Like Me.