☀️ Today we have a special look at the particularly adorable dolls - girls with Down Syndrome (Barbie Fashionistas 208 & 229), created by Mattel in partnership with the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS).
On March 21, the world annually celebrates the World Day of people with Down syndrome - a developmental feature resulting from a genetic abnormality in which an extra chromosome appears in the human body.
March 21 - this date was not chosen by chance - Down's syndrome develops when three chromosomes appear in the 21st pair of chromosomes instead of the usual two.
March is the third month of the year, so March 21 was chosen. The International Day of People with Down Syndrome is celebrated on the initiative of the boards of the European and World Down Syndrome Associations, the first events were held in Palma de Mallorca in Spain in 2006.
Children with Down syndrome perceive the world differently - they see more bright, more light, they are usually very friendly, smiling, open and trusting. Maybe that's why they are called "Sunny Children" ☀️❤️
The internationally recognized symbol of the Down syndrome awareness movement is the yellow-blue ribbon, other significant symbols are butterflies, images of children's palms, and steamed socks. The essence of this movement is to change the perception of people with this syndrome, because they are not helpless and promising.
The syndrome got its name in honor of the English doctor John Down, who first described it in 1866. The connection between the origin of the congenital syndrome and the change in the number of chromosomes was discovered only in 1959 by the French geneticist Jerome Lejeune.
Down syndrome has long not been considered a disease, but only a feature of human development, which does not prevent most people with the syndrome from successfully getting an education and working, because the disease can be cured, but it is simply impossible to remove an extra chromosome from each cell.
So, let's get to know our charming girls better 😊
Fashionistas 208, Blond Hair, HJT05
The smiling blonde, like the dark-skinned beauty, comes to us in the traditional blister packaging for the Fashionistas series. Certificates and stands are not included in the set of such dolls.
At first glance, you can see how carefully and respectfully Mattel approached the creation of the image of this special doll. After all, in front of us is an incredibly sweet and open girl who seems to be glowing from the inside, smiles sincerely at us and looks at us with interest ☺️
The cute face and body have all the characteristic features of the syndrome, the girl is very photogenic from different angles😍
Since, in general, the Fashionistas line belongs to the most budget segments, the quality of makeup is also appropriate: pixel makeup.
The girl's hair is very soft and fluffy, unvarnished, has several shades of blonde. The firmware looks high-quality, but in places, near the partition, it is thin, which is why the head "glows".
The girl's pink pendant necklace has three arrows, representing the third chromosome 21, which people with Down syndrome have, and they point outwards, symbolizing rising and moving forward.
The girl is dressed in a floral dress with puffy sleeves. Her outfit uses meaningful symbols, such as butterflies, the symbol of Down syndrome, and the blue and yellow color palette, which symbolizes Down syndrome awareness.
The dress is made of a pleasant, slightly elastic material, so it does not need fasteners.
The pink ankle braces match the girl's outfit perfectly and support her as she walks, and the white sneakers have a "real" zipper (so kids can easily put them on and take them off).
The shoes are made of pleasant plastic, can be quickly and conveniently removed and put on the doll's legs.
The girl's body is plump and short - Curvy Petite, with only a few basic joints.
In terms of skin tone, the girl is something between an MTM tennis player and Neko, the closest fit is Andra Looks 20 (standart body) or, if you want to keep the girl's height small, you can try Kristi Yamaguchi (MTM petite).
We emphasize that all information about hybridization is of an exclusively subjective nature, because the skintones of dolls from different batches may differ among themselves. Therefore, it is better to choose donors live.
Fashionistas 229, Dark Hair, HYK14
Meet the second girl, a novelty of 2024😍
This time it's a mega-positive dark-skinned beauty in bright pink glasses. Prescription glasses are very common in people with Down syndrome.
Just like the blonde, this girl's make-up is pixelated. In addition, it is very noticeable on tanned skin that the make-up is shiny and does not like bright light.
The girl's dark hair is braided in tight braids, unvarnished, in places there are untied braids or gaps on the head where there are not enough braids. But, in general, the hair looks very nice☺️ With some lighting, you can even notice several shades in the braids.
The girl is dressed in a very cute dress with blue and yellow printed hearts, the colors of which symbolize Down syndrome awareness.
The three arrows in some hearts represent the same third chromosome 21 that they have
people with Down syndrome.
The dress is made of pleasant material and fastens with Velcro on the back.
On the girl's legs are comfortable pink sneakers made of soft rubber.
The body of the girl is similar to the body of the blonde - Curvy Petite, and also has only a few basic joints.
Unfortunately, we received a very damaged version of the Fashionistas 229 body, with cracked plastic on the back. Such a doll came out of the packaging intact, so we conclude that it is factory damage🥺
It happens like that 🤷🏻♀️
The girl's skin tone is also unique, we could not find one among MTM bodies that matched 100%. As an option, you can try to hybridize with MTM June (standard height), or with the MTM petite body from Looks 7. If you have experience of more successful hybridization with MTM bodies for this baby, write in the comments and we will definitely add this useful information to the review.
Mattel is doing a very good job of adding dolls with human characteristics to their various lines, because in this day and age it is more important than ever to have any experience related to the development of awareness and understanding that although we are all different, we are all the same we live in society and have equal rights to a safe, comfortable and happy life.
Write your impressions of the "sunny" dolls, bring home photos in the comments, if such wonderful girls have already settled in your house, we will wait!😍
Thank you for your attention☀️
Sincerely,
The DollsHobby.club team
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