Doll modelled after Canada's first Black female interventional cardiologist
A company is making dolls that celebrate diversity and inclusion, with one of its latest designs honouring a Montrealer paving the way for Black women in her medical specialty.
Dr. Alexandra Bastiany is Canada's first Black female interventional cardiologist.
Diva Dr. Alex, created by Montreal company Brown Diva Dolls, looks just like her -- completely with scrubs, a stethoscope and thick-framed glasses.
"They say if you can see it, you can be it," said Bastiany, who currently works at a hospital in Thunder Bay, Ont.
She says she feels honoured to be featured as a Diva Doll.
"As a young girl [...] I didn't have any Black doll [that was a] doctor or an engineer or anything fabulous or out of this world," Bastiany told CTV News.
According to Bastiany, it was important her namesake doll stayed true to her skin tone and hair.
"In the last few years, Black women and men learned how to embrace our natural curls, our natural pattern, because it was previously considered as non-professional."
Montreal company Brown Diva Dolls' new design is inspired by Canadian doctor Alexandra Bastiany. (Photo: Brown Diva Dolls)
Designing dolls with a variety of skin tones, hair and features not often seen on store shelves is what Brown Diva Dolls is all about, according to its founder.
"The last generation like me, I never had that doll, so now we want that next generation to have a doll where they can see themselves, where they can find their textures of hair," said Clara Lewis.
A social worker for nearly three decades, Lewis saw first-hand how representation matters.
Without it, she says children can end up with low self-esteem or limiting beliefs.
She started Brown Diva Dolls to change the narrative.
Lewis now has 17 different dolls in her line, including the doll inspired by one notable doctor.
"We wanted all the little girls to see themselves as Dr. Bastiany," she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Most of Canada to receive emergency alert test today
The federal government will test its capacity to issue emergency alerts today, with the exception of Ontario, where the test will take place on May 15.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests about relationship with Prince Harry
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Ontario man devastated to learn $150,000 line of credit isn't insured after wife dies
An Ontario man found out that a line of credit he thought was insured actually isn't after his wife of 50 years died.
Boy Scouts of America is rebranding. Here's why they're now named Scouting America
After more than a century, Boy Scouts of America is rebranding as Scouting America, another major shakeup for an organization that once proudly resisted change.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Rape, terror and death at sea: How a boat carrying Rohingya children, women and men capsized
In March, Indonesian officials and local fishermen rescued 75 people from the overturned hull of a boat off the coast of Indonesia. Until now, little was known about why the boat capsized.
'A huge difference': These adults born in the '90s partnered with their parents to buy homes in Ontario
An Ontario woman said it would have been impossible to buy a house without her mother – an anecdote that animates the fact that over 17 per cent of Canadian homeowners born in the ‘90s own their property with their parents, according to a new report.
How Drake and Kendrick Lamar's rap beef escalated within weeks
A long-simmering feud between hip-hop superstars Drake and Kendrick Lamar reached a boiling point in recent days as the pair traded increasingly personal insults on a succession of diss tracks. Here’s a quick overview of what’s behind the ongoing beef.
opinion Tom Mulcair: Trudeau's handling of Poilievre's 'wacko' House turfing a clear sign of Liberal desperation
When Speaker Greg Fergus tossed out Pierre Poilievre from the House last week, "those of us who have experience as parliamentarians simply couldn't believe our eyes," writes former NDP leader Tom Mulcair in his column for CTVNews.ca