For most mothers, four children and two grandchildren would be enough to keep busy, but for Wendy Archer from Middlesbrough, her real-life brood just wasn’t enough.
Wendy, 40, was sterilised after her fourth child but subsequently regretted the decision. So she decided to fork out more than £2,000 on four fake babies and their paraphernalia.
Despite having two children still living at home, Wendy now spends hours every day dressing, bathing and shopping for her four fake children – and has even splashed out on a real new crib, car seat and Moses baskets for the fake tots.
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Wendy, 40, who is single, said, ‘I just love babies – to me they aren’t dolls, the are my babies. They are beautiful and I truly love them. I couldn’t be without them now and they even smell like real babies. I love all of my children and my grandchildren, but my children have lives of their own now, and my grandchildren go home at the end of the day.’
Wendy gave birth to her daughter Kirsty, when she was just 16, and since then has gone on to have three other children, Nathan, 22, Keenan, 15 and Kia, 13.
Video: Woman Spends £2,000 On Reborn Babies After Regretting Sterilisation
But after giving birth to Kia, Wendy, who has never had a job, decided to be sterilised. After she procedure, however, she regretted it, and longed to have another baby. So she bought four reborn dolls – Johnson, Elisha, Shyan and Thomas – and now loves being a full-time ‘mum’ to them.
She said, ‘There is just something about babies which I love. I love being around them, dressing them and looking after them. I just want to nurture and when I had my sterilisation, I felt a great sense of loss that I would never have a baby of my own to nurture again. It made me feel really low, and very sad for a long time.’
But Wendy came across Michelle Cairne’s shop Shelley’s Reborn Dolls in Middlesbrough 18 months ago – and after visiting the shop a few times, she finally plucked up the courage to buy her first doll. Wendy said, ‘I bought Elisha for £100 and she was simply beautiful. I was in love, and as soon as I cuddled her the feeling of sadness went away completely.
‘It was like I had filled a hole in my life.’
The dolls are handcrafted by Michelle to resemble real-life babies. Wendy now has now spent £1,000 on four of her reborn dolls, which she treats in the same way she would her own children – and claims to have spent at least the same again on clothes and accessories for them.
She said: ‘I have beds, and Moses baskets for each of them, and they take it in turns to sleep in the crib in my room. Every evening I change them into their pyjamas and tuck them into bed and every day I change them, give them fresh nappies and put them in their day clothes.’
‘I know some people might think I’m mad but so many of my friends have been amazed by how happy the dolls can make people. When you cuddle them, they feel like a baby, because their heads lull and they even smell like a real baby, because of the fabric softener their clothes are washed in. It is truly amazing.’
Wendy spends as much time as she can with Shelley in her shop, watching how the babies are made and helping Shelley dress the babies. And she even has a car seat for the babies, so when she goes to visit family members her reborn dolls can come too.
Wendy said: ‘I haven’t taken them out into town yet, but as soon as I get a pram and I can wrap them up I will do. I know people are a bit wary of the dolls or think it is a bit mad, but the comfort I get from them makes my life.’
‘It’s not about companionship, but I love having the dolls which are all mine to look after,’ she added.
Baby-mad Wendy has used her savings to partly fund the dolls and is still paying off the rest in weekly installments. But she is now looking for a job, to earn enough money to treat herself to more babies.
She added, ‘They are absolutely beautiful and real works of art. My daughter Kia loves them as well and she will often help me dress the babies ready for bed. I have used some clothes for them from when my children were young, but I do like to go shopping for new things for them as well.’
She added, ‘I would recommend the dolls to any woman, young or old, who loves babies and longs to look after them. These dolls aren’t like child’s dollies – there are handcrafted masterpieces, with lifelike eyes, eyelashes and hands and feet. They are perfect. They are just like real babies – except without the crying and the sleepless nights – which suits me perfectly.’
Source: dailymail.co.uk
