In a groundbreaking development, Mattel has unveiled its first Barbie doll with type 1 diabetes, particularly designed in collaboration with nonprofit Breakthrough T1D at the Breakthrough T1D 2025 Children’s Congress.
The doll consists of a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) on her arm, a Barbie pink insulin pump, along with a handset with a CGM app to monitor her glucose levels.
In addition, Barbie has a roomy bag to keep her essentials, such as snacks.
This significant move is a part of Mattel’s effort to foster inclusivity through its dolls. Senior VP of Barbie, Krista Berger, stated that it marks “an important step in our commitment to inclusivity and representation.”
Berger continued adding that Barbie should reflect medical conditions such as T1D so “more kids can see themselves in the stories they imagine and the dolls they love.”
Since 2019, the company has diversified its Barbie Fashionistas range to include dolls with several disabilities such as hearing aids, prosthetic limbs, and more.
Mattel has also added a blind Barbie and a Black Barbie with Down syndrome.
Following the footprints of Mattel, other brands have also launched dolls featuring characters with Down syndrome and autism, and Lego provides minifigures with numerous disabilities.
Arjun Panesar, CEO of diabetes.co.uk, said that the launch is “a positive step forward in building confidence, inclusion and understanding around living with diabetes.”
This Barbie is aperfect reflection of real life with type 1 diabetes, a tool for empathy and education, and a long-overdue reminder to each kid suffering from a chronic condition that they belong in the story.
