With Christmas on the way, we'd like to take a moment of appreciation for these inclusive Elf on the Shelf-inspired dolls from Etsy, which will help all little ones feel represented over the festive period and beyond.
With their cute bobble hats, smiley faces and candy cane striped leggings, the elf dolls have always been oh-so-Christmassy, but they now come in custom editions which are inclusive of special medical needs.
Available from Etsy retailer BrightEars, the handmade elf dolls are bestsellers and cost £13.99 each plus postage.
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Each doll can be customised with a number of adaptive devices that children may already use, such as hearing aid accessories and cochlear implants.
The elves also come featuring feeding and breathing tubes, while others have cleft palate.
BrightEars dolls are the perfect gift to make children with specific medical needs feel extra special and, going by the reviews, can bring comfort and assurance during challenging times.
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"Made my son's transition to hearing aids that much easier," wrote one five-star reviewer. "He loves his clip and hasn't taken it off since!"
Another wrote: "My daughter loves it, she is 2.5 and wears cochlear implants. This makes it extra special for her. Clip is good quality too, highly recommend."
Others commented how "thankful" they were to have found toys that "looked like" their children.
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"My 7-year-old has Crohn's Disease and has a g-tube and ileostomy bag, I ordered this doll for her for Christmas and I cannot wait to give it to her!" wrote one parent.
"It exceeded all my expectations! I'm so thankful that my daughter now has a doll that looks like her!"
While another rave reviewer commented: "What an amazing gift for our granddaughter. Our kids gave it to her on the day she received her hearing aids. It made the process so much easier and our granddaughter made a new best friend!"
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It's worth noting that, as the dolls are handmade to order, they can take up to three weeks to arrive, or four weeks at peak times.
Beyond their elf range, BrightEars also make traditional baby dolls with a range of medical conditions, including dolls in wheelchairs, those with ostomy bags or heart op scars, and dolls with skin conditions like vitiligo.
Available in a variety of ethnicities and physical builds, the dolls are available to buy for £24.99 each via Etsy.
Featured Image Credit: BrightEars / EtsyTopics: Toys, Christmas, Children, Life News, Life