Creepy Lifelike Dolls Help Owners Grieve

Madeline Holler — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 13:31:00 GMT

OK, now I feel bad. Yesterday, I called adults who play with these lifelike "Reborn" dolls crazy. But now I'm reading they have helped many people -- including parents who suffered the loss of a child -- to grieve.

In fact, some people add on all kinds of stuff to enhance the "cuddle therapy." They even fit the dolls with a mechanism that mimics a heartbeat and breathing. (I'm still soooo uncomfortable here.)

From Reuters:

"I pick them up and I change them and I do hold them like a baby now and again -- it's relaxing," said doll-owner Gill, a 50-year-old grandmother who asked to remain anonymous because of the way reborning has been portrayed in the media.

Cathy Newcombe, who makes the dolls and runs reborning Website Reborn Babies UK, said counsellors were increasingly looking into the therapeutic benefits of holding reborn babies.

"The act of holding the doll may have a role in releasing a 'feel-good' hormone," Newcombe said.

The woman who started "Reborn" dolls didn't have therapy in mind when she created the first one. She just wanted to get her daughter off her back.

"My daughter wanted a sibling and I didn't want to have any more children, so I made her a doll instead," said the 32-year-old mother of two.

Still, dolls, "Reborn" or not, are showing promising uses for grieving parents and, in some instances, people suffering Alzheimer's.

Fine, it's a good thing. What do you think? Medical breakthrough or still a bit creepy?

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