Inspiring girls since 1959, Barbie® has embarked on a 60-week journey to showcase 60 Canadian women and girl Role Models in partnership with Toys”R”Us® Canada. Today, Starlight Children’s Foundation Canada teen Daniella, who lives with cerebral palsy, has been named a Role Model, joining the influential group and recognized for her strength, positivity and ambition. The Role Models exemplify the Barbie You Can Be Anything mantra – no dream is too big, no idea is too wild, and no possibility is out of reach.
Between June 27th and July 3rd, 2019, Daniella will be featured online and in-store at 82 Toys”R”Us locations across Canada. Her in-store feature will coincide with the introduction of a new Barbie doll that comes with a wheelchair, introduced as part of Mattel’s 2019 Barbie Fashionistas line.
On behalf of Mattel Canada and Toys”R”Us Canada, a portion of sales from the Barbie Fashionista in Wheelchair doll, sold in-store and online by Toys”R”Us Canada through to December 31st, 2019, will be donated to Starlight Canada. Our partners are dedicated to brightening the lives of children and their families by not letting any condition or limitation get in the way of having fun.
About Daniella
Daniella, who despite living with cerebral palsy – which affects her muscle control and coordination – consistently aims high in life. When she was just 10 she chose to take her family to Banff for her Starlight Once In A Lifetime Wish, where they all climbed a mountain. Since then, she has continued to smash all stigma by practicing dancing, swimming, horseback riding, and recently joining her local sledge hockey team.
Daniella, upon hearing she’d been selected for this exciting opportunity to represent the same toy she loved growing up with, said “the hurdle that I sometimes find is acceptance. This opportunity to represent Barbie shows me that there is so much acceptance and love in this world.”
For over 30 years Starlight has been supporting children across Canada, like Daniella, advocate that having a disability does not make you incapable of achieving incredible things in life! Your support will help us provide crucial programming to more and more children.