She wears a chic blue skirt and crop top with polka dots and powder blue chunky heels. She looks stylish undoubtedly, but most important is her vibrant pink accessory: an insulin pump. Yes, you read that right — one of the latest Barbie releases is Mattel’s first doll with type 1 diabetes (aka T1D).
“Mattel came to us,” said Emily Mazreku, director of marketing strategy at Breakthrough T1D, a global leader in the T1D advocacy and research space. “They wanted to bring a doll with type 1 diabetes to their Fashionistas line. So, of course, we jumped on that opportunity right away.”
The process took about two years, and involved consulting with Breakthrough T1D volunteers, children and adults with T1D, and caregivers of those with T1D.
New perceptions
This collaboration with Mattel is another way Breakthrough T1D is ensuring that the millions of people living with type 1 diabetes — which is an autoimmune disease that causes the body to attack insulin-producing cells in the pancreas and necessitates lifelong insulin therapy — are seen, heard, and empowered.
According to Breakthrough T1D, there are 1.5 million people with T1D in the United States — and 14% of those Americans are under 20. Giving those people — especially the youngest ones — a way to relate to a toy as popular as the Barbie doll boosts awareness and gives kids with T1D a figure with which they can easily identify.
“She’s on the shelves showing everyone how she’s living with T1D, from her medical equipment to her dress patterns,” noted Mazreku, who was diagnosed with T1D eight years ago. “The blue-circle print is a nod to the global symbol that represents diabetes awareness. And she wears a continuous glucose monitor on her arm that helps her manage her T1D each day.
“Those monitors are small, wearable devices that continuously measure a person’s blood-sugar levels. To keep that in place on her arm, she has heart-shaped medical tape that is Barbie-pink, of course. Her phone also displays her blood-sugar readings throughout the day.”
A personal connection
Mazreku’s enthusiasm for this project is so palpable because she’s not only very pleased with the outcome, but she has a daughter who adores Barbies as well. And while her daughter doesn’t have T1D, she’s able to better comprehend what her mother may be going through thanks to this new Barbie doll.
“Being able to present that doll to my daughter was an unforgettable experience,” Mazreku said. “She looked right at it, and she said it looks like mommy. And that was the most unbelievable moment since not only did that mean that the lived experience of T1D came through, it gave her confidence to see Barbie wearing the same T1D devices her mom wears.”
A day in the life of someone living with T1D can be arduous. Anything that bolsters strength and resilience, like seeing a Barbie doll with T1D, can be helpful.
“T1D causes the pancreas to make little insulin or none at all,” Mazreku explained. “And it leads to dependence on insulin therapy. There are a lot of short- and long-term complications that can come from that, because while insulin therapy keeps people with T1D alive every day, it’s not a cure.”
Still, there is hope for cures, and Mazreku refers to how Breakthrough T1D is tirelessly working toward them with Project ACT: “That’s our initiative to speed up the development of cell therapies and allow us to walk away from T1D for good,” she said. “That’s the future — and we’re thrilled to be driving it through research, medical affairs, and patient advocacy.”
To learn more, visit BreakthroughT1D.org/barbie/
