Tens of thousands of children will get to see a part of themselves reflected in new Barbie and Ken dolls.
Mattel announced Wednesday that the toy company will donate 10,000 of its Brave Barbie and new Brave Ken dolls each year to children who have experienced hair loss due to illnesses such as an autoimmune disease or cancer. The move comes just in time to mark Childhood Cancer Awareness Month this September.
This time, Mattel is introducing a new, second Brave Barbie doll and its very first Brave Ken doll.
Brave Barbie, which was first introduced in 2013, now comes in two skin tones and along with stylish outfits, will have five accessories -- headphones, a hat, headband, rooted wig and customizable stickers.
Brave Ken will also have a rooted wig, in addition to his own fashion-forward outfit and accessories.
Mattel said the company hopes the dolls will offer comfort and reminds kids "they are brave, strong, and beautiful."
“For more than a decade, Brave Barbie doll has offered children comfort in seeing themselves reflected and reassurance that they are not alone on this journey,” Nancy Molenda, Mattel's vice president of global corporate events and philanthropy, said in a statement. “With their meaningful new look and expansion to a Brave Ken doll, these dolls continue to embody courage and compassion. Placing these dolls into the hands of families and seeing the light they bring during life’s hardest moments is profoundly humbling and a privilege we hold close to our hearts.”
Mattel is distributing the dolls, which aren't available for purchase, this fall, through partnerships with various national and international children's organizations, including Ronald McDonald House Charities, Starlight Children’s Foundation, CureSearch for Children’s Cancer, Koala Kids, Save the Children, Fundación Teletón and In Kind Direct.
The dolls will also be offered through groups such as the Children’s Hospital Association, Blood Cancer United, the American Cancer Society - California, the National Alopecia Areata Foundation, and hospitals such as Rady’s Children’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital and City of Hope Children’s Cancer Center.
