Woman’s reborn dolls help her cope with agony of giving her own two babies up for adoption
Jo Marsh, 32, from Gateshead, believes that without her dolls she would be dead by now
A WOMAN has revealed how using specially designed reborn dolls has helped to speed up her recovery from severe Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and depression.
Jo Marsh, 32, from Gateshead, believes that without these dolls she would be dead by now - after suffering abuse as a child and having her two real babies adopted against her wishes.
The reborn dolls are incredibly lifelike and are weighted to feel like a real baby.
Jo’s revelation follows pictures of reality TV star Courtney Stodden cradling a ‘reborn baby’ in Los Angeles, following the tragic news that she had miscarried the baby she was expecting with her husband Doug Hutchison.
Courtney revealed on Instagram that her therapist had suggested she purchase one of the dolls to help aid in her recovery.
The reality star has now been photographed taking the baby shopping, taking it for coffee runs and has even been sharing pictured with the doll on social media
While this may seem odd to some, Jo, completely understands where Courtney is coming from.
She says: “I know exactly why Courtney has her reborn and I understand just how it is helping her recover from her loss.
“Without my dolls I know my recovery would have stalled and I’d either be a walking zombie or dead.
“My dolls or ‘babies’ have given me a reason to live and have helped me cut my medication from 30 tablets a day to just seven.
“Because I have them in my life I am now attending a specialist college and have plans to one day be a mentor to assist people suffering mental issues.
“Having Courtney be so public and allowing the world to see her dolls will hopefully make more people aware these dolls are not ‘toys’, but are key to helping people cope with loss, depression and even diseases like Alzheimer’s.”
Jo is now calling on the NHS to make reborn dolls available free as part of a fast track recovery process for people who have lost a child from miscarriage, premature death, adoption or still birth.
She adds: “My dolls, who I call Angel and Mia, have changed my life, it’s time we realised their true value in the recovery process.”
Brave Jo openly admits that her life used to be a mess.
“I suffered abuse in my younger years, I was scared to seek help and as a result conditions I suffered went undiagnosed.”
As a result of this, Jo ended up having her two babies adopted.
“I was told it was the best thing for them but it was not my choice and against my wishes,” she says.
Having her babies taken away only served to worsen Jo’s sense of loss, failure and severe depression and sparked her to suffer with post-traumatic stress disorder.
She says: “I ended up being hospitalised and prescribed pile of pills. It was during my time in hospital that I noticed the girl in the room across from me had a Moses basket with a re-born doll.
“I’d never seen one before but when I saw hers and she explained what it was and allowed me to hold it I felt an instant sense of calm and peace wash over me.
“Holding the baby doll in its little onesie reminded me in a good way of the babies I’d lost via adoption. It filled the void, that aching sense of loss.
“I remember the weight of the doll was like the weight of a new born. My brain knew it was a doll but my body reacted like it was a real baby.
“I immediately started rocking and soothing the baby and my sense of loss was replaced with a sense of caring.”
Jo recalls that through the daze of medication she was on she suddenly realised she was grieving the fact her children had been adopted and, as she’d never been offered counselling, had not been able to come to terms with what it all meant.
She adds: “Holding that doll was the moment I knew I could have a future and I think from looking at Courtney’s pictures the doll is helping her.”
After this, Jo began to research ‘reborn dolls’ and joined as many Facebook groups as possible before starting to and save up to get her own reborn, which she then purchased in 2013.
She says: “Her name is Angel and she cost me a total of £145. I remember the day I got her it was life altering.
“Suddenly my anxiety and sense of failure changed. I realised getting her was putting me on the path to recovery.”
Jo also invested in a second doll, who she called Mia and who cost £150, at the start of this year and since then her medication has been cut dramatically and she has been making significant headway with her therapist.
RELATED STORIES
“These dolls, or babies as I prefer to call them, signalled the start of my proper recovery. I know some people are going to laugh and call me crazy and even make fun of me.
“If they do then they are ignorant and have never suffered depression, PTSD or the loss of a child.
“I don’t care what people say because Angel and Mia have finally given me the will to live, enabled me to get the help I need and to plan for my future.”
These days, Jo never goes anywhere without her ‘babies’. She’s even purchased Moses baskets for them, as well as a double buggy and a single buggy and has spent hundreds of pounds on drawers packed full of clothes and toys.
She adds: “The dolls have the latest clothes and toys. In the morning I feed them and dress them I will take them to the park and to visit friends and they have given me a sense of purpose.
“If I feel a severe anxiety attack or an attack were I would have normally screamed and shouted I go and get Angel or Mia and the simple act of nursing one of them soothes me. It is nothing short of extraordinary.”
“Five years ago I’d have acted in a completely different way.
"It’s given my doctors and therapists a chance to properly diagnose my issues and given me the chance to properly talk about what happened in my younger years.
“It’s all down to my dolls. I would never have thought this was possible.”
Reborn dolls are now being widely used in nursing homes in the USA and UK to aid in the treatment of Alzheimer’s dementia and depression.
The medical profession has recognised that the dolls can trigger positive memories and prevent agitation and anxiety.
In the USA, grief therapists recommend that dolls can be used to help mothers cope with the loss of a child or baby and many believe the entire family can benefit.
However, some doctors warn against long-term use of the dolls, claiming it creates a false reality for the patient.
JO’S TIPS FOR FINDING THE RIGHT REBORN DOLL FOR YOU
Reborn dolls are considered works of art by collectors and range in price from £50 to £12,000.
Jo suggests if you think a ‘reborn doll’ could help you, you should:
• Join Reborn Doll Forums
• Find Facebook groups in your area
• Visit a reborn artist and hold a doll
• Attend Re-born or doll fairs
Nevertheless, most agree that due to a lack of extensive research, the true impact of these realistic dolls is only just being considered.
When it comes to Jo, she won’t be binning her beloved ‘babies’ anytime soon.
She says: “In my case the dolls are going to be with me my entire life and I know they have helped me start recovery.
“I have spent thousands on my dolls – slowly and surely buying them both, having new hair put in one to look like mine, buying toys and clothes botties, bottles a buggy and stroller – you name it.
“My dolls are beautiful and to me they are real. They have made me a better person and aided my recovery. If they can do that then surely other people could benefit and not be labelled crazy.”