2-year-old Ohio girl with spina bifida receives special Barbie doll

JOHNSTOWN, Ohio (WSYX/WTTE) -- Barbie dolls are iconic toys, but one doll, in particular, has a very special meaning to one young girl in Licking County, Ohio.

2-year-old Ella Rogers was born with spina bifida. Ella is in a wheelchair and now, thanks to Mattel, she has a Barbie doll with a special connection to her.

Her family gave her a Barbie that is in a wheelchair for Christmas and she loved it. Ella is non-verbal, but her expressions on Christmas morning said it all.

Ella’s mom, Lacey, sent photos of Ella playing with her new doll to Mattel, thanking them for making a toy that looked like her daughter.

"Mattel has included my daughter," Lacey said. "As somebody who has a special needs child, that means the world."

The toy giant quickly responded and sent even more dolls to Ella.

“The outpouring of love they’ve shown us is incredible,” Lacey said.

The doll is part of Mattel’s Barbie Fashionistas line that also includes dolls that have vitiligo, a prosthetic leg and a bald head.