It's chemotherapy Barbie! New bald doll designed to help little girls with cancer... and she comes with her own wig range

  • Mattel's 'Ella' Barbie doll has no hair and comes with several wigs
  • The doll is designed for little girls who have to go through chemotherapy and will likely lose their hair
  • There was a shortage of the doll's until the mother of a 4-year-old with leukemia started a petition calling on Mattel to manufacture enough for every girl with cancer
  • When Mattel heard about the petition it agreed to begin producing more 'Ella' dolls and to start distributing them in August
  • The toy company plans to make a new 'Ella' doll every year

By Daily Mail Reporter

Published: | Updated:

With a little help from a California woman, Mattel - the toy company behind iconic dolls like Barbie and Polly Pocket - has agreed to begin manufacturing more 'Ella' dolls, which are designed for kids going through chemotherapy.

The therapy dolls don't have hair, but come with a number of wigs, and are designed to help young kids cope with losing their hair as a result of their treatment.

Grace Bumstead, 4, suffers from a form of leukemia so rare that its rate among children is one in a million. 

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Chemo Barbie: The 'Ella' Barbie is bald and is designed for little girls going through chemotherapy

Chemo Barbie: The 'Ella' Barbie is bald and is designed for little girls going through chemotherapy

Blondie: 4-year-old Grace Bumstead has a rare form of leukemia and has lost much of her blonde hair after going through chemotherapy

Blondie: 4-year-old Grace Bumstead has a rare form of leukemia and has lost much of her blonde hair after going through chemotherapy

While she was in treatment, Grace got an 'Ella' doll, which her mother says has now joined the girl's 'inner-circle of Barbies.'

'When they first met, she’s like, "OK, I get what’s going on." But it gave us the chance to say, "Here’s a beautiful, smiling doll. It doesn’t have hair,’” her mother, Melissa Bumstead, told CBSLA.com.

At such a young age, Grace will be forced to endure intensive chemotherapy over the next 18 months. The treatment already has caused the young girl to lose her blond curls.

'She’s been amazingly brave. And we’re very, very proud of her. It’s not where we expected to be in life right now,' Bumstead said. 'We bring [Ella] along everywhere to say, "This is what’s happening. This is what’s happened to Ella. This is what’s gonna happen to you." It brought it to her level.'


'Ella': Grace was given an 'Ella' doll before she started losing her hair to help explain to what was happening to her

'Ella': Grace was given an 'Ella' doll before she started losing her hair to help explain to what was happening to her

Impressed with how much the doll helped her daughter, Bumstead discovered that the hospital where Grace was being treated had just six dolls to give to other girls facing chemotherapy.

Bumstead took it upon herself to publicly let the toy giant Mattel know that they need to make more 'Ella' dolls by starting an online petition urging Mattel to manufacture more of the special dolls.

After just three months, the petition had more than 100,000 signatures.

'Every 10 minutes, we had 1,000 signatures,' Bumstead said.

When Mattell got word of the petition, it agreed to make more of the dolls and distribute them to hospitals across the country.

'If the pain that we’re going through right now can help someone else, it makes it feel like it’s worth it,' Bumstead tells the station.

'Inner circle': After a short time, Grace's 'Ella' doll was part of her 'inner circle' of Barbies

'Inner circle': After a short time, Grace's 'Ella' doll was part of her 'inner circle' of Barbies

Mattel: Much thanks to Grace's mom, Melissa Bumstead, Mattel will manufacture more 'Ella' dolls for young cancer patients

Mattel: Much thanks to Grace's mom, Melissa Bumstead, Mattel will manufacture more 'Ella' dolls for young cancer patients

Grace's doctors say she has a 75 percent chance that she will be cured of her rare disease.

'The big issue is psychosocial. How will she view herself? How will she view the world when she grows up? Will she be afraid of the whole world because she thinks that leukemia will come back at any minute and end her life?' Dr. Paul Gaynon said.

Mattel reportedly told the Bumstead family that they hope to begin distributing the 'Ella' dolls by August. The company says the plan is to make a new version of the doll every year.

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