Mom who hasn’t seen children in 22 years says reborn dolls help her mental health

A mother who says she hasn’t seen her children in 22 years has claimed her collection of lifelike reborn dolls has improved her mental health.

Patrizia Bartolomei, 67, spent almost AUD50,000 (£26,000) on the dolls – and said having them helped fill the gaps caused by separation from her children. The mother-of-three from Fremantle, Western Australia, said buying her first reborn baby seemed like the only natural treatment option that would improve her mental health and satisfy her need to care for her children.

She has now built up a collection of dolls that she takes to therapeutic play sessions to meet around 20 other doll owners every three weeks. Patrizia’s collection consists of three boys and four girls: Pia, Faith, Harmony, Anjela Rose, Steven, Daniel and her own baby Elvis.

The dolls are specially made and cost from $500 (£260), with its latest edition, Daniel, costing around $8,000 (£4,150). She said: “When I discovered these dolls and I found a local one and I went to see her, and as soon as this little girl was put in my arms, I felt relief because the he attention to her children is what a mother needs.

“So, I had this little girl and I noticed that I was starting to be less stressed, my doctor and my psychologist both saw a difference in me, so I decided that if it helped me that much, it could help other people too, so that’s when I started my therapy Facebook page. We just get together at our friend’s house, maybe for a craft day, we bring something for lunch and just be with people who understand what you’re going through and understand what love is.

“I couldn’t have children anymore and I always loved dolls, I was never ashamed of them because it’s for my mental health, if you want to judge then judge. I take them with me and I I have a pram for them.” Patrizia moved to Europe to be with her husband, where she also had her children, but became estranged from them when she left her marriage.

“I’ve been back home for 22 years now and I don’t know anything about my children. Mentally I was broken, I just kept crying and crying. The dolls just help the nurturing part of me come back going back and remembering when my kids were little, back in a happy place and I think it’s very important to be able to erase the horrible memories and just remember the good ones.”

Reborn dolls are lifelike babies created by expert designers. They are also used as therapy dolls for people with behavioral problems and can help people with sensory processing disorders.

Earlier this month, a woman from Florida, US, said she started collecting reborn dolls after her daughters asked Santa for dolls for Christmas 2020. By searching for them on Google, Kam said she became intrigued by pretend babies and has since spent $20,000 (£16,177) on 18 dolls.

“I became so fascinated by them, from start to finish, each revival is a true work of art,” Kam said. “It is an art form that gives me pleasure, just as works of art do for many people. Collecting high-end art dolls is no different than collecting paintings or sculptures to display in the house.

“Even if I don’t display my dolls in this way, I get great pleasure from posing them and taking photos of them. Another reason I enjoy them so much is that I can share this hobby with my daughters.

“They love dolls like me, and my youngest, who is three, loves me taking pictures of her in her arms. It’s another way for all of us to bond. I love this hobby because I have met some of the best people in my almost three years of collecting. They are people that I mostly haven’t met in person yet, but who have turned out to be truly amazing people, caring, caring and selfless.