More than 100 people, including Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts and members from the Los Altos High School Key Club and local Kiwanis Club gathered at Loyola Elementary School, last month, to make dolls. The handmade dolls are used to comfort children who have survived traumatic experiences or been hospitalized.
Volunteers of all ages cut fabric, stuffed and sewed the dolls together, completing 231 dolls between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.
The “trauma/hospital dolls” will be distributed to first responders and hospitals in the Los Altos area.
The dolls serve as an aid for police officers, firefighters and emergency medical technicians to facilitate communication with children who may be injured, traumatized or unwilling to speak to strangers.
The dolls create an important interface between youngsters and adults in critical situations. Children can point to the dolls to describe their injuries to paramedics, and doctors can use a doll to explain medical procedures to hospitalized children.
The dolls are also substitute “lovies” for youngsters who had to leave their playthings behind in an emergency or who have lost their favorite stuffed companions in a fire.
“It’s empowering to kids who are making the dolls,” said Hollis Bischoff, who organized the event.
“And it’s comforting to the kids who are receiving them.”
Once sewn and stuffed, the muslin dolls resemble unadorned Raggedy Ann dolls. Designed to be featureless, the 15-inch dolls lack faces, clothes and hair.
Magic Markers will accompany the dolls so that children can decorate and personalize them.
Volunteers also made get-well cards for the hospitalized children who will receive the dolls.
“It was a lot of fun,” said Rachel Frozenfar, who attended the event with her daughter Sapir. “Just thinking about where this doll was going was very motivating.”
