Disabled Spring Valley woman says lifelike reborn dolls bring comfort and purpose
Roxy Harrison says the dolls have helped her cope with infertility, cancer and other life challenges while bringing joy to both her and those she meets.
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Roxy Harrison often turns heads when she’s out running errands around Spring Valley with her "babies" in tow.
But the infants and toddlers accompanying her aren’t real children. They’re reborn dolls — highly realistic collectibles that Harrison says bring her comfort, purpose and joy.
"I really like organizing their stuff, choosing their outfits and matching up their accessories and berets. It makes me feel like I'm taking care of a child and it makes me feel fulfilled," Harrison said.
The 44-year-old owns 11 reborn dolls, complete with rooted hair, eyelashes, tiny fingernails and lifelike skin tones that often cause people to mistake them for real babies.
For Harrison, however, the dolls are about much more than collecting.
“Having kids is not in the cards for me and these dolls bring me a lot of joy, purpose, and it also became sort of a hobby,” Harrison said.
Harrison says she struggled with infertility in her 20s, went through a divorce and ultimately was never able to have children. Harrison also said she underwent treatment for ovarian and breast cancer in 2018, including chemotherapy, a double mastectomy and a hysterectomy.
She began collecting reborn dolls three years ago and says she enjoys dressing them, choosing their outfits and accessories, and creating photos and videos featuring them that she shares online.
“I’m not under the illusion that they are real,” she said. “I talk to them because I think it’s cute and I make AI videos of them because it’s the closest I’ll get to a real child.”
Reborn dolls have become popular among collectors and hobbyists. Some people also use them as a source of comfort while coping with grief, infertility, memory loss and other life challenges.
Similar therapeutic concepts have been used in programs involving robotic companion pets for older adults and people living with dementia. News 12 recently reported on one such program for seniors using robotic pets.
Because Harrison does not drive, the Spring Valley woman relies on a motorized wheelchair to get around. Whether she is heading to an appointment, running errands or simply getting out of the house, she often brings several of the dolls with her.
She said most of the reactions she receives from people she meets are positive.
“It actually brings a lot of people joy,” Harrison said. “I’ve had a lot of interesting reactions.”
Recently, however, Harrison found herself at the center of unwanted attention after she says someone recorded her while she was out in public with the dolls and shared the video on social media.
She said the post generated thousands of views and comments, some supportive and others hurtful.
“I didn’t know about the video until a friend of mine told me about it,” Harrison said. “I went to look at it and I was horrified.”
Harrison said some commenters called her names and made assumptions about her that were not true.
She said the experience is one of the reasons she decided to speak publicly.
“I just want people to know who I really am,” she said.
While Harrison says she does not expect everyone to understand her hobby, she hopes people will respect it and take a moment to look beyond the dolls to see the person behind them.
“You don’t always understand what people go through,” Harrison said. “Be kinder because you never know what people are going through.”
