Delivering Hope, One Barbie at a Time

Many students find ways to stay busy during the summertime. Some work, study, or take time to relax. This summer, Caroline Gates could be found buying and delivering Barbie dolls to local children's hospitals. A sophomore at Lindenwood, Gates's story did not begin this summer, though.

At 11 years old, Gates was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. She describes this as a scary and intimidating experience. Despite these fears, Gates was inspired to help others. Since her diagnosis, Gates has been involved in numerous charities and non-profits, supporting foster children, a local children's museum, and other children with Type 1 Diabetes.

This summer, Gates was scrolling through her Facebook feed when she saw that Mattel had launched a new line of Barbie dolls that had Type 1 Diabetes. Gates immediately knew she wanted to raise money to donate these dolls to children's hospitals. "I've never really experienced anything like that before," Gates shared. "It was just very automatic. I didn't even think about it."

Gates set up a GoFundMe page, titled "Barbies with 'Betes," raising money to buy as many of these Barbies as possible. Gates promised to personally deliver them to hospitals across the region for kids who had recently been diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.

After creating the page and sharing it on her Facebook, Gates describes an outpouring of support. "I had my goal set at just a little over $1,000 and it was met in nine hours," she recalls. "Then, I increased it to $2,500 and that was met in 12 hours."

A friend who works at a local newspaper reached out about a possible story. Gates described a trickle-down effect in which other news organizations began reaching out to cover her story as well. By the end of the month, Gates' story was picked up by KMOV and she was invited to throw the first pitch at the St. Louis Cardinals' Barbie Night, July 30.

Today, Gates's GoFundMe has raised over $7,000. Despite the media attention, Gates described a visit to St. Louis Children's Hospital as the most rewarding moment for her. "I got to be back where I was diagnosed and saw the doors I walked through. You know, you walk out of that hospital, and the world feels different. I remember being in that position right after I'd been diagnosed and it was so uncertain. I was in fifth grade. I didn't know what my friends were going to think. I didn't know what I was doing and what my life was going to look like moving forward," she shared. "It was just like giving my younger self a hug when I was there. It was so rewarding to be back and realize that everything was fine and that I can take my diabetes and use it for good."

While Gates was visiting the hospital, she spoke with staff from the endocrinology unit. "They were talking about how they had a little girl. She's three years old on their floor who was going to get a Barbie. She had Type 1 Diabetes," Gates said. "It was just so special because I got to see and hear about these kids that have been looking forward to it all day."

With the fall semester beginning, Gates has no plans of slowing down. Gates says she is going to be delivering dolls for a very long time. Driven by the value of doing what is right, Gates said, "all I've ever wanted to do is help kids and to make them feel love and to help them feel loved in a time that I know so well."