Woman 'trolled endlessly' over reborn dolls says they 'saved her life' following miscarriage

It's impossible to contemplate the agonising torture of enduring a miscarriage or losing a child, without experiencing this type of heartache for yourself.

And no one is more aware of that than one courageous 22-year-old woman, who - speaking exclusively to Tyla - opened up on the devastating impact that a miscarriage suffered earlier in life had inflicted upon her mental health.

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Paired with the equally gut-wrenching loss of several close family members in close proximity, the unnamed British woman said the emotional turmoil almost pushed her to the brink.

Having undergone several forms of conventional therapy in the hope of alleviating her sadness, it wasn't under several years later when - scrolling through social media one day - she came across a community that would change her life forever.

This community centres on the adoration of 'reborn dolls' - handcrafted, uber-realistic, weighted vinyl dolls with human-like features, designed to imitate real-life babies.

"I started looking into reborns after a huge loss," she opened up to us about her experience. "I went through quite a few difficult times when I was a child.

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"Since around the age of 13, I've lost a lot of family members, and then I had a miscarriage, so my mental health became quite damaged at a young age.

"And then in 2022, a family member that I was particularly close to passed away. I'd tried therapy of different kinds after that, and even though it was helpful in some ways, nothing could really fill the hole I was feeling."

And after stumbling across reborn dolls on Instagram, the anonymous woman was instantly intrigued, having previously heard stories about the comfort they can bring to those experiencing issues with their mental health.

"My first thought was that these dolls are aimed at mother's whose babies and toddles had died, or people who couldn't have children," she admitted.

"I think that's an assumption that a lot of people make about reborns, but because I'd been struggling with my own loss for such a long time, I asked myself, 'What's the worst that can happen?'."

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After researching the hundreds of different vendors that supply these bespoke babies - which were first introduced in the 1990s by enthusiasts who sought to collect realistic dolls - it was TikTok that led her to purchasing her very first, 'affordable' reborn.

Revealing that she'd paid around £200 for her first, the woman went on to disclose that she was initially met with criticism from some of her friends and family for her seemingly controversial decision.

"I'd kept it a secret for quite a few months," she went on. "I didn't tell anyone until I adopted my second, but when I did, some of them said, 'What the hell?' and 'This is weird'.

"But after a while, they got their heads around the fact that, for a lot of people, these dolls are collectable pieces of art, and for others, like me, they help with mental health. They could see it was making me happy, and that was nice for them."

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Since opting to show off her reborn dolls - a girl and a boy - on social media, however, the woman has been met with a wave of backlash from online trolls.

Sharing videos of herself changing her dolls and taking them out for walks in the pram, the reborn collector claims she is subjected to 'endless toxic trolling' on a daily basis.

"For me, doing these activities, it's an amazing experience. It gives me that feeling that I never got to have of pushing a baby around and taking them out for walks," she disclosed.

"But because of that, the personal comments I get online can really hurt. I've been told I should be sectioned because of my dolls, and that I should kill myself, but this community saved my life and my mental health. It's really sad but I've gotten used to it. I try to just let it go over my head."

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Opening up about the incredible impact that her reborn babies have had on her life, the woman went on: "When I feel really down or anxious, just holding one of the babies helps so much.

"Because they're weighted, holding one against you instantly makes you feel better. Everyone needs a cuddle now and again, and changing them - taking them out in the pram - this gives me reason to get up, rather than wallowing in my own thoughts.

"The babies have changed my life in more ways than I can explain."

If you need support and advice following a pregnancy loss, you can contact the Tommy’s team at [email protected]. You can also call them for free on 0800 014 7800, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.