Her Reaction To An 'American Girl' Doll Went Viral – Now Texas Girl Has A New Leg
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Millions of people were moved to tears when they saw a 10-year-old girl filled with joy as she received an American Girl doll with a prosthetic leg. It was a Long Island company that modified the doll.
As CBS2's Scott Rapoport reported, the video was viewed 37-million times and warmed countless hearts.
Emma Bennett of Cyprus Texas lost her leg as a baby due to a congenital birth defect, she was given an American Girl doll with a prosthetic leg. It was a moment of immediate recognition and immaculate joy.
"She's just like me," she said.
A beautiful response.
"Tears to my eyes. It was just an amazing thing to see what we can do to talk to somebody the way we did," Erik Schaffer, CEO, A Step Ahead Prosthetics, said.
Schaffer is the CEO of the Hicksville, Long Island prosthetic company. They make high-end, advanced prosthetics. His was the company that modified the American Girl doll for Emma, giving it a prosthetic leg.
Schaeffer said he was so overwhelmed by Emma's reaction, and her story that he flew the girl and her family to New York, last week -- all expenses paid. While here, his company fitted Emma for a brand new, state of the art prosthetic leg.
It was a $36,000 product, free of charge.
"I knew that we had to get her here to take her to the next level. To show her what advanced prosthetics were all about," he said.
Schaeffer said the joy on Emma's face and the happiness brought to her and her family was like a gift to him.
"From the second she walked in the door to the day she left was just an amazing experience," he said.
Now, it's a chance for Emma to live a more mobile life without limitations.