Dr. Chika Stacy Oriuwa, a psychiatry resident at the University of Toronto, Ontario, who has advocated against systemic racism in healthcare, which has been further highlighted by the pandemic has emerged one of the beneficiaries of Mattel’s ThankYouHeroes program.
The programme was created in 2020 to honor individuals who have led the fight against COVID-19 as well as the everyday heroes who have kept communities up and running.
In a recent development, the brand spotlighted six women who are modern, real-life heroes of the pandemic and honored them with their own one-of-a-kind doll made in their likeness. Experts in their fields who have shown unprecedented courage during a challenging time, the six role models have made a positive impact in their communities, inspiring current and future generations.
Remarkably, Chika is among these heroes and has a Barbie made in her image. In a chat with newsmen, an elated Oriuwa recalls dressing up her Barbies as doctors, poets and performers when she was a young girl.
In her remarks, Oriuwa hopes the creation of a one-of-a-kind doll celebrating her success will show kids there aren’t any limits on their play or their potential.
She said “What is even more beautiful about this opportunity is that the Barbie is a Black female doctor that is made in my image”
“That really speaks to my core value and my core belief that you can truly become anything and you can truly occupy any space and thrive.”
Oriuwa is one of six women who inspired Mattel’s special collection of Barbies honouring health workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis.
According to the toymaker, Oriuwa is being recognized for her advocacy against systemic racism in health care.
The 27-year-old has spoken openly about the discrimination she faced as the only Black student in her class during her first year in medical school in 2016, and helped spearhead efforts to diversify the program.
Recall that NCNC reported how she became the first Black woman to be selected as sole valedictorian for University of Toronto’s faculty of medicine upon graduation last year.
Other women celebrated are:
●Amy O’Sullivan, RN (U.S.) – emergency room nurse who treated the first COVID-19 patient in Brooklyn at the Wyckoff Heights Medical Center, became ill and was intubated, then a few weeks later returned to work to continue taking care of others;
●Dr. Audery Cruz (U.S.) – a frontline worker from Las Vegas, who during the pandemic, joined forces with other Asian-American physicians to fight racial bias and discrimination;
●Professor Sarah Gilbert (U.K) – a professor of vaccinology who led the development of the University of Oxford vaccine in the U.K.;
●Dr. Jaqueline Goes de Jesus (Brazil) – a biomedical researcher credited for leading the sequencing of the genome of a COVID-19 variant in Brazil; and
●Dr. Kirby White (Australia) – a general practitioner in who co-founded Gowns for Doctors, a gown that could be laundered and re-used, allowing frontline workers in Victoria, AU to continue seeing patients during the pandemic.
A Mattel spokeswoman said only one doll was made for each of the real-life “role models” and will not be available for sale.
