Ludgershall girl inspires Down's syndrome doll
Family "thrilled" with doll which will benefit local charity
Last updated 24th Mar 2021
A six-year-old Wiltshire girl with Down's syndrome has been chosen as the model for a new doll.
Irish company Lottie Dolls have based the toy on Rosie Barnett, from Ludgershall, naming it the Rosie Boo doll after her nickname..
It was based on photos of the little girl after she cut her own hair!
Dad Jason said that he's 'thrilled' with the doll and grateful for the opportunity to raise awareness of the condition.
"Rosie plays with it like she would any other doll, we made sure we told her it was called Rosie Boo and it was based on her."
"We showed her the hair, her hair has grown out now from the hair cut that it was based on but we made it clear that it was called Rosie Boo and we showed her the box, she loved it and that's how she refers to it and does the sign for Rosie which is an R so having lots of fun with it."
The toy company decided to make the doll after Rosie's parents, built her and her four siblings a full-size version of it's doll's tree house during lockdown last summer.
Dad Jason posted Rosie's reaction in a thread on Twitter, which captured the company's attention.
BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS
The Rosie Doll box comes with some information about Down's syndrome and why the doll is different.
In the box there's also a poem that Rosie's Mum, Hannah and aunty wrote, here's the first part:
I'm cheeky and full of mischief, noisy, loving and bright.
I love chocolate, cake and hugs, and filling lives with light.
My cupboards are fit to burst, with teddies, trains and cars,
But my Rosie Boo Lottie Doll, is my favourite toy by far.
BOOST FOR HAMPSHIRE CHARITY
The doll was released ahead of World Down Syndrome Day.
A donation from each doll sold will go towards supporting the local charity AndoverTwenty1 which has helped Rosie and her family.
The charity works to support children with the condition within a 25 mile radius of Andover.
Both Rosie's parents hope the doll will educate not only children but parents on the differences and similarities of Down's syndrome.
"Rosie is just like any other child, she does all the activities that any other child does, she has four siblings who don't treat her any differently.
"All we want for her in life is to be the same, we don't want her to be treated differently and looked at differently, we hope this is a small step to making down syndrome more recognisable."