The grandmother of Filipina-American Dr. Audrey Sue Cruz could not hold back her tears after seeing Barbie doll of her grand daughter for the first time in person last Tuesday, July 5 at Aria resort in Las Vegas, NV.
In an instagram post of Dr. Cruz, she shared a heart-warming video of her grandma sobbing while looking at a display of the doll made after the image of Cruz. She also shared the story of how her grandma inspired her to reach for her dreams.
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“My grandma (Mama) was raised on a rice field in the Philippines. She grew up in poverty and did not have the opportunity to complete high school. Mama worked incredibly hard as a small business owner to give her daughter and grandchildren a better life than she ever had. She later sold everything she had to move to the US where she got a job cleaning slot machines for a casino,” said Cruz.
Cruz was tapped by Mattel, a toy company, to be one of their Barbie role models as part of their campaign to thank those who were in the frontlines during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Mama inspired me to reach for my dreams. I completed my engineering degree, received my medical degree, and fought on the front lines of the pandemic as a physician —- all while inspired and motivated by my grandma’s hard work and struggles. She took care of me during my hardest years of med school and never once asked for anything in return,” she added.
Cruz explained that her grandma didn’t get to see the doll during its launch as she was in the hospital.
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Dr. Cruz said first Filipina-American Barbie role model.
In one of her posts, Cruz said that her Barbie doll “does not only represents the value of hard work, but also the fact that we can truly be ANYTHING.”
She dedicates her recognition to girls and women who dreamed of making their lives better.
“To my hardworking mamas, minorities in the workforce, frontline workers, and any girl who ever dreamed of making her life better — this is for YOU. This is for ALL OF US. To my Filipino fam, we made history baby 🇵🇭,” posted Cruz.
Her doll is a part of Barbie’s #ThankYouHeroes series. She treated Covid-19 patients and joined forces with other Asian-American physicians to fight racial bias and discrimination during the pandemic.
Her doll is not yet out for sale to the public but can be viewed in the Barbie strip in Las Vegas.
