Toys are often children's first friends. They cling to their dolls, action figures, and stuffed animals. They tell them their secrets and trust them for comfort when they're sad or scared.
These trusted toys are special, whether or not they "look like" the child who owns them. But one little girl's doll is extra special because it looks like her.
Brynn Munger, who just turned 3, lost her left eye to a cancerous tumor doctors found just after her first birthday, TODAY reports. When Brynn started to realize that she was different from other kids, her mom commissioned a special doll from Sebastian Design: a bunny who was missing her left eye, just like Brynn.
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Jessica Sebastian, the woman behind Sebastian Design, posted a photo of Munger with her new doll to her Facebook page. And the story has gone viral.
"I make dolls, which is not a heroic profession by any means. But recently I was asked to make a doll for a little girl who is a true superhero," Stanley wrote in her post.
"A mama contacted me and asked if I would make a bunny doll with one eye for her two-year-old daughter who loves animals and lost her left eye to cancer. The girl had started to notice that she was different and her sweet mama read articles about how finding a doll who matches how a child looks can be helpful and therapeutic," she continued.
"To date, I don't think I've ever been asked to create something so tender and meaningful."
The photo of Munger holding her new doll, who she has named Sparkle, is even more special because the little girl is wearing a Wonder Woman nightgown.
"It perfectly represents the strength and courage of this little superhero," Stanley wrote.
And that's exactly why Munger's mom wanted to get a special doll for her little girl. She was a "1-year-old who should have just been playing outside, yet she was stuck in a hospital for weeks at a time," her mom, Danielle Munger, told TODAY. She's glad that her daughter now has a doll who looks like her.
"They can be unique together,” she told TODAY.
And it seems like Sparkle is set to be one of the most special toys in Munger's life. The little girl had the biggest smile when she opened the gift on her third birthday, her mom told TODAY, and kept saying, "She matches me."
If that doesn't warm your heart, we don't know what will.