Cleft lip and cleft palate

Two-year-old Lula-Belle Butler-Wenlock-Simpson, right, who was born with heart problems and underwent open-heart surgery, poses with a Special Friends doll whose scar mirrors her own.

‘Special Friends’ dolls reflect the lives of children with special needs

July 24, 2020Education

When Victoria Band’s son was diagnosed with hearing loss, she wished she could give him a doll with hearing aids to reflect his disability. Last year, she started her own line of dolls with scars, cleft lips, hearing aids and oxygen tanks.