Here’s What’s Trending Today…
Ten-year-old Emma Bennett got a surprise gift that made her very happy.
She was given an American Girl doll that looks very much like her. The doll also had a prosthetic leg, just like hers!
Emma’s mother and father bought the toy from an American Girl store. They then asked a company called A Step Ahead Prosthetics to make changes to the doll. The company replaced the leg with what looks like a man-made leg, like Emma’s.
On social media, a video shows when the doll was given to Emma. In the video, Emma’s younger sister gives her the present, along with a special letter from A Step Ahead Prosthetics. The letter said that the doll was now ready to “live her life without limitations” with Emma.
When Emma opens her gift and sees the American Girl doll, she begins to cry. Emma is amazed that the doll has a leg like hers.
People on social media were touched by the video. Some admitted how emotional the video made them.
In his Facebook post, Chuck wrote that, “as a dad of daughters, this brought tears to my eyes.”
Another Facebook user, Jessica, does not mind admitting that the video made her cry.
Some felt that the pictures showed how important it was for people to feel like they are represented in society.
In her Facebook post, Tess said that a story like this proves that “we all need to see ourselves shown as part of the cultural identity.”
Another Facebook user, Kyle, also felt that “representation matters.” He wrote that although “children should learn life won’t always be easy,” they should never be made to feel alone or unimportant.
At the end of the video, Emma thanks A Step Ahead Prosthetics by saying, “Thank you for making a doll like me.”
And that’s What’s Trending Today.
I’m Mehrnoush Karimian-Ainsworth.
Mehrnoush Karimian-Ainsworth wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.
Did the video make you cry? (We shed a few tears!) Please leave a Comment, and post on our Facebook page!
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Words in This Story
prosthetic – n. an artificial device that replaces a missing or injured part of the body
toy – n. something a child plays with
amazed – v. feeling or showing great surprise
