Barbie® Debuts First-Ever Barbie Doll with Type 1 Diabetes
There is a growing number of children with Type 1 Diabetes, and now there’s a cool and meaningful Barbie doll just like them…welcome the first Barbie doll with Type 1 diabetes!
Partnering with Breakthrough T1D, Mattel introduced the first Barbie doll with type 1 diabetes to its Fashionistas lineup. This Barbie joins Mattel’s lineup of inspirational Barbie characters who impart meaningful life lessons to help kids learn and grow with confidence. Fans of all ages love this Barbie already.
Kids will love that she is the first Barbie doll with diabetes woven into her presentation and package, and parents will love that this is sure to lead to hours of meaningful pretend play about Barbie’s diabetes management and journey.
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“Introducing a Barbie doll with type 1 diabetes marks an important step in our commitment to inclusivity and representation,” said Krista Berger, Senior Vice President of Barbie and Global Head of Dolls. “Barbie helps shape children’s early perceptions of the world, and by reflecting medical conditions like T1D, we ensure more kids can see themselves in the stories they imagine and the dolls they love.”
Barbie partnered with Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF), the leading Type 1 diabetes research and advocacy organization, to ensure the doll accurately reflected the dynamic details and medical equipment those with this condition may utilize, as well as the doll’s look. The doll wears a continuous glucose monitor (CGM), a small, wearable device that continuously measures a person’s blood sugar levels, on her arm to help manage her type 1 diabetes.
To keep her CGM in place, she has heart-shaped medical tape in Barbie pink, naturally. She also has a phone that displays a CGM app to help track her blood sugar levels throughout the day. Barbie also wears an insulin pump, a small, wearable medical device attached to her waist, that provides automated insulin dosing as needed.
She wears a stylish polka dot top and matching skirt with ruffles. The color blue and circle print are nods to the global symbols that represent diabetes awareness. The dolls come with a pastel blue purse, perfect for Barbie to carry any essentials, such as type 1 diabetes supplies or snacks, when she’s on the go.
“We were thrilled when Barbie approached us to collaborate on the development of the Barbie doll with type 1 diabetes,” said Aaron J. Kowalski, Ph.D., CEO of Breakthrough T1D. “I have lived with T1D since I was 13, and my brother since he was 3, so this partnership is deeply personal – it means the world to be part of bringing greater visibility to a condition that affects so many families. It’s an honor to work with a brand that shares our commitment to showing children that a life with type 1 diabetes can be full, vibrant, and empowering.”
In honor of this new doll and in continued partnership with Breakthrough T1D, Barbie donated dolls to the Breakthrough T1D 2025 Children’s Congress. Earlier this month, the biennial event brought 170 children living with type 1 diabetes, ages 4-17, to Washington, DC, to meet face-to-face with members of Congress.
The youth delegates travel to the nation’s capital from all 50 states and Breakthrough T1D’s international affiliates. Barbie also teamed up with global role models and Type 1 diabetes advocates to help promote this important new doll.
The Barbie doll with Type 1 diabetes and the 2025 Barbie Fashionistas dolls, are now available on Mattel Shop and at retailers nationwide.
More about the Barbie Fashionistas Line
The Barbie Fashionistas line features more than 175 looks across various skin tones, eye colors, hair colors and textures, body types, disabilities, and fashion styles, including a Blind Barbie doll, a Barbie doll with Down Syndrome, and a Barbie doll with Hearing Aids, among others. In 2020, Barbie kicked off a multi-year study with researchers at Cardiff University on the short-term and long-term benefits of doll play.
It has been found that doll play serves an incredible purpose during key developmental stages, as it may help set children on a course for success by fostering empathy and developing social skills needed to excel, all while imagining their futures on an equal playing field.
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