I recently purchased the Doll Diabetes Care Kit from AG during my recent trip to the Houston American Girl Place (AGP). Once I got home and was able to explore the kit some more, I realized there are some major design flaws that can be easily fixed using items available around your home.
The first problem is that the sticker for the insulin pump doesn't stay on the plastic at all. It is constantly peeling off, and it makes me sad to think of all the kids who will get frustrated with this.
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| The sticker won't stay on the insulin pump no matter how much I press it down. |
The solution? Use the double sided adhesive circles to stick the sticker onto the pump, and the sticker will not come off! (If you want to be able to change colors, don't do this, but I personally didn't care about the other patterns in the kit.)
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| I cut the adhesive circles in half and then used that to keep the sticker down. See how the other side is already now flush with the surface of the insulin pump? |
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| Before using the adhesive circles on the back |
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| After using the adhesive circles on the back! |
The second problem is that the adhesive circles do a TERRIBLE job of sticking to the doll's cloth body. This is for a few reasons. Firstly, cloth doesn't stick to adhesive very well in most situations. Secondly, the doll's bodies, especially newer dolls, usually have a bit of a curve/contour to them, so the sticker isn't going on a flat surface but a concave or convex one.
The solution? Elmer's school glue! I was wondering at first if this would be enough, but after using it, I think it's great! It's light enough that it can still be removed if you choose to do so, but it's also much better at holding the port (is it called a port? I think it technically is, the instructions refer to it as an "adhesive disk", unless they're talking about the adhesive circles, but I don't think they are...)
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| Notice how there's still a tiny bit of separation between the disk and the body due to the not-flat nature of the doll's body. With this method, I don't have to worry about accidentally brushing the disk off the body with the slightest touch. I also may try this school-glue method for things like hearing aids or other things that need a semi-permanent but still removable attachment. |
Other than these problems though, the kit itself is great. I do know someone with type 1 diabetes, who was also interested in the kit and they said it was very realistic. The insulin pin that really clicks was a big hit! A final problem I'd like to address is the cord, it is very stiff and also very short. A real insulin pump has a cord that's a bit less stiff and a little longer, I think if this kit were to ever be revamped then I'd hope this design flaw would be addressed, along with the others.
Overall, if you've ever considered getting this set, I would highly encourage it!! It's a great, cute set and is a nice addition to any AG collection.
And lastly, the kit's pouch, with Laika's name written on it:
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| Laika McIntire's Diabetes stuff all in one convenient pouch! |
