Sarah Czapp of Wheeling shows off her prosthetic leg while posing with her newly amputated American Girl doll, Torey. Torey received a prosthetic leg from A Step Ahead Prosthetics in New York, so now Sarah has a doll that is truly just like her.
WHEELING, W.Va. — Sarah Czapp of Wheeling finally has a doll just like her.
For her 4th birthday last October, Sarah’s grandpa bought her a coveted American Girl doll, with curly blond hair and hazel eyes just like Sarah’s. But the doll, whom she named Torey, differed from its new owner in a significant way: Torey had two legs. Sarah was born with just one.
Sarah’s parents, George and Jocelyn Czapp, thought that because American Girl promotes its dolls as being “just like” their owners, the company might swap the doll’s leg out for a miniature prosthetic. Their request was heard but no immediate action was taken.
Sarah loved Torey anyway, of course. But then in June, a video of a girl receiving a modified American Girl doll with prosthetics went viral.
“I watched it and of course sobbed my eyes out,” said Jocelyn Czapp, noting the girl’s reaction was priceless. “I found the company (who did it) and called them immediatley. They put me directly to the girl in charge.”
The company, A Step Ahead Prosthetics in New York, provides the doll modification for free to anyone with a child who has an amputation…