Mattel Inc. has introduced the first Barbie doll depicting a person with Type 1 diabetes, broadening the company’s 2025 Barbie Fashionistas line. The doll features a continuous glucose monitor on her arm and a heart-shaped insulin pump on her waist, marking the brand’s first visible inclusion of devices used to manage the autoimmune condition. The design was developed over nearly two years with diabetes research and advocacy group Breakthrough T1D to ensure medical accuracy. Krista Berger, senior vice-president for Barbie and global head of dolls, said the launch "reinforces inclusion and empathy." The doll is on sale in the United States and United Kingdom through Mattel’s website and retailers such as Walmart and Amazon at a suggested price of US$10.99. Mattel also produced a one-of-a-kind doll in the likeness of British model Lila Moss, who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 12, and named Moss and Peloton fitness coach Robin Arzón as ambassadors for the launch. The release extends Mattel’s inclusion strategy: the Fashionistas range now counts more than 175 dolls that reflect a variety of skin tones, body types and disabilities, including dolls with Down syndrome, hearing aids and prosthetic limbs. Public-health data show about two million Americans live with Type 1 diabetes, including roughly 304,000 children and teens, a prevalence advocates say underscores the importance of normalizing medical conditions through play. Mattel plans to donate dolls to the Breakthrough T1D Children’s Congress in Washington this week, where youth delegates are urging lawmakers to renew federal funding for diabetes research.