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The widespread doll line, owned by Mattel, requested youngsters throughout the nation to appoint an impressive hero of their life as a part of its Heroes with Heart contest, which is designed to thank and honor individuals who have risked their lives amid the pandemic.
The winners obtained a one-of-a-kind, custom-made American Girl doll and outfit of their hero’s likeness to reward the honoree, together with a $200 American Girl reward card for the nominator, a spokesperson for American Girl advised CNN.
“We had an amazing response with more than 1K nominations of really moving stories,” the spokesperson mentioned in an e mail assertion. “Our criteria points of originality, being heartfelt in nature and fitting the contest theme helped us narrow it down, but truly every submission was moving and it’s wonderful to hear of all the real-life community heroes around us.”
April O’Quinn, a Virginia-based paramedic who was among the many chosen heroes, advised CNN “it’s a huge, huge honor to represent females in EMS.”
“People tend to forget the EMS providers and for this to be so huge now in our community,” she mentioned. “They are just absolutely loving it.”
The 39-year-old, who has greater than 15 years of expertise on the job, contracted Covid-19 and after recovering, instantly returned to work to take care of others.
O’Quinn’s niece Lacey nominated her aunt. In her submission, she mentioned that at occasions, O’Quinn needed to do her job with out the best protecting gear or cleansing provides. She additionally detailed her aunt’s wrestle with Covid-19.
“When she was finally healed and released back to work, she didn’t hesitate for one moment,” Lacey wrote, based on a quote from the American Doll web site.
O’Quinn mentioned she has a message for younger women who could also be impressed by her story: “We are just as strong as the men are. We can do this job just as well as everyone else. Don’t let anyone hold you back because you are a girl.”
- Xavier: The 17-year-old grocery retailer employee was nominated by his sister for working 5 days every week at a grocery retailer throughout the pandemic. “He has asthma and he still risks it to help out,” his sister wrote within the submission.
- Pam: The trainer was nominated by her college students. She visited every scholar’s home with a smile, an encouraging signal, and a bag of books.
- Sarah: The nurse assistant was nominated by her granddaughter for her dedication and endurance as a caregiver and in feeding the homeless in her neighborhood. “I hope that when I grow up and become a surgeon, I will help people with the same love as she does,” her granddaughter wrote.
- Laurent: The pilot for Spirit Airlines was nominated by his daughter for volunteering to fly a crew of American docs to Haiti to assist them battle Covid-19. He additionally did a return flight filled with stranded US residents. “I am so proud of him for stepping forward to help!” his daughter wrote.
“Whether you’re providing healthcare, keeping families stocked with food and supplies, or making sure cities keep running,” American Girl writes on its web site, “we owe you a huge thanks.”
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