When Barbie stepped onto the stage at Breakthrough T1D’s 2025 Children’s Congress in Washington, D.C., she was dressed in a playful blue polka-dot outfit, sporting a matching pastel purse, and perhaps most notably, wearing a continuous glucose monitor on her arm and an insulin pump clipped to her waist.
It’s a historic moment, not just for Barbie but for the millions of people around the world living with type 1 diabetes (T1D). For the first time in her 65-year history, Barbie will represent this chronic autoimmune condition in a way that’s both medically accurate and deeply personal. Her debut about visibility—but more than that, it’s about validation, empowerment, and changing the way children with the condition see themselves and are seen by others.
The new doll was officially unveiled at the Breakthrough T1D 2025 Children’s Congress, a landmark advocacy event that brings 170 youth delegates living with T1D face-to-face with lawmakers to fight for policy change and increased research funding. This year’s gathering, held July 7–9 in the nation’s capital, includes children and teens from all 50 states and five international affiliates, as well as celebrity role models and families affected by T1D. But one of the most buzzed-about figures didn’t testify before Congress; instead, she stood six inches tall in the hands of the kids she was created to reflect.
The Barbie with T1D is the culmination of a powerful partnership between Mattel and Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF), the world’s leading type 1 diabetes research and advocacy organization. Developed over the course of a year, the doll is part of Barbie’s inclusive Fashionistas line, which already features dolls with Down Syndrome, hearing aids, vitiligo, wheelchairs, and prosthetic limbs.
But what makes this Barbie especially poignant is the real diabetic women who helped shape her, and one in particular: Breakthrough T1D’s Director of Marketing Strategy, Emily Mazreku, who has lived with type 1 diabetes since childhood and played an instrumental role in the project. “We were thrilled when Mattel approached us about creating a Barbie with type 1 diabetes,” Mazreku says. “This is a collaboration that began more than a year ago, with a vision of a Barbie doll that truly represents the type 1 diabetes community and raises awareness for the condition in a meaningful way.”
That vision quickly turned into a highly collaborative process involving Breakthrough T1D employees, volunteers, and community members, many of whom also live with T1D themselves. “The process was a real partnership,” Mazreku explains. “Our community’s lived experiences informed the entire design process, leading to a doll that is fully representative of what it’s like to manage this condition every single day.”
It’s not just the presence of a CGM or insulin pump that sets this Barbie apart. It’s the attention to detail. A heart-shaped medical tape (in Barbie-pink, of course) secures her sensor, and the phone in her hand shows a CGM app with “real-time” readings. Even Barbie’s polka-dot top and matching ruffled skirt feature the color blue and a circle print, nods to the global symbols that represent diabetes awareness, and her pastel blue purse is perfect for carrying T1D essentials, like medical supplies and low snacks, when she’s on the go.
Even the blood-sugar readings on Barbie’s phone were selected with intention and care. “When you live with type 1 diabetes, there are highs and lows—emotionally and physically,” Mazreku says. “So, we wanted to be thoughtful about the blood sugar levels shown on Barbie’s phone. These are particularly meaningful to me because the readings shown are actually my own, taken from a real day during the design process.”
For Mazreku, who grew up playing with Barbie dolls but never saw her experience reflected in them, this project represents more than just professional pride. It’s also personal. “It truly means so much to know that my lived experience helped shape this doll,” she says. “I’m honored to be part of Barbie’s story, and to have played a role in bringing this doll to life for the type 1 diabetes community.”
That community has been integral to the process from the start. Feedback from kids and families helped determine which features mattered most, from the placement of the CGM to the inclusion of a purse for diabetes supplies. “Type 1 diabetes is a 24/7 condition,” Mazreku says. “And having Barbie bring visibility to that constant reality meant a lot to the T1D community.” And that visibility, she emphasizes, is no small thing. “Type 1 diabetes can feel like an invisible disease and is often misunderstood,” the marketing director says. “So it was important that every aspect of Barbie with T1D reflects and celebrates the strength of the community.”
While the inclusion of medical devices is impactful, Mazreku says the significance runs deeper. “Representation like this helps normalize what it means to live with T1D,” she explains. “It opens the door for everyone living with the condition to feel seen, heard, and empowered. It’s a way of showing kids that they’re not alone—and that their condition doesn’t define them.”
That message came to life in a particularly emotional way when Mazreku gave the doll to her 3-year-old daughter. “As a mom and an adult living with type 1 diabetes, it was unforgettable to give my daughter a doll that ‘looks like mommy,’ confidently wearing her type 1 diabetes devices for all to see,” she says.
In the broader context of Barbie’s evolving identity, this newest addition to the Fashionistas line is another step in the brand’s journey to reflect the world kids live in, not an idealized version of it. And for Breakthrough T1D, the partnership with Mattel is more than symbolic. It’s a strategic move in the fight for awareness and, ultimately, a cure. “Breakthrough T1D is proud to partner with Mattel to bring this doll to life,” Mazreku says. “We know the impact of the Barbie doll with T1D will grow, helping even more people feel seen, supported, and empowered as we drive toward cures.”
That impact will be felt in homes and hospitals, schools and statehouses—and perhaps most immediately, at the Children’s Congress, where young delegates gather to advocate for renewed funding of the Special Diabetes Program and share their stories with policymakers. And when they do, they’ll have Barbie right there with them—stylish, strong, and managing T1D with confidence.
This Barbie isn’t just a doll. She’s a reflection of real life with type 1 diabetes, a tool for education and empathy, and a long-overdue reminder to every kid living with a chronic condition that they belong in the story, too.