My body is healthy; my mind is brilliant; my soul is tranquil.

Images via @a_doll_like_me

With the holidays well underway, many of us may be reminiscing about our favorite childhood toys. Whether a blanket, plastic truck, or a stuffed animal, all of us had those one or two favorites that meant the world to us.

For me, it was my American Girl Doll named Kit. She had blonde hair just like mine, and I called her my little mini-me. It was the best!

• I didn’t realize it at the time, but it was a privilege to have a doll that looked just like me. For many children with disabilities, they never have the chance to see toys that look just like them... and that’s where today’s hero, Amy Jandrisevits, comes in.

👓 See a problem, make a difference… Amy is the founder of A Doll Like Me, a nonprofit run out of her home that creates stuffed dolls for children with physical differences. 

She was previously a pediatric oncology social worker before founding the organization, so she knows how toys can provide a sense of comfort and confidence in ways that nothing else can.

• “WHO we see and HOW we see them matters to the millions of kids that don’t look like most of the images they are bombarded with on a daily basis,” Amy says of her mission. “And it starts with something as simple as a doll.”

⏪ Back to the beginning… A Doll Like Me began with a doll for a “sweet little girl” named Macey, who had been through a leg amputation. Before she knew it, Amy had a waitlist in the hundreds.

• “That’s how I know we are hungry for a shift,” she shares of the high demand for her toys. “We want ‘representation matters’ to be more than a hashtag on social media!”

So far, A Doll Like Me has created about 400 dolls for children all around the world. Whether it's a limb difference, facial deformity, dwarfism, or another special need, Amy works tirelessly to be sure the doll matches their child as closely as possible.

And how does she feel about her new line of work?

• “I like to say the 10-year-old version of Amy is THRILLED I still get to play with dolls many (many!) years later. I love being able to combine my passion for social work with creativity. It is a privilege and an honor to be invited into lives filled with beauty, tragedy, joy, pain, pride, and raw emotion.”

Support A Doll Like Me Here.

🐒 Monkeying around… The Thai Monkey Festival returned last week following a two-year pandemic hiatus. The feast is an annual tradition to thank the monkeys for doing their part in drawing tourists to Lopburi, which is sometimes called "Monkey Province."

• This year’s theme was wheelchair monkeys, and festival organizers plan to donate 100 wheelchairs to needy people.

+My favorite festival quote: "It's quite unexpected and the monkeys are quite silly," one tourist told CNN.

🍞 Alisha V. from Mesa, AZ, is ready for all the holiday baking nights.

• “Made homemade rolls for the first time and they turned out awesome 😎.” Yum!!

🎓 Dana K. from Andalusia is celebrating her smart kiddo’s scholarship success.

• “Our second/middle child just got enough scholarship money to his university of choice for us not to have to take out loans to pay for two children in college at the same time!!!!” (You must've taught 'em a thing or two along the way... 😉)