Mother Spends £20,000 On Lifelike Reborn Dolls
Kerrie Williams has spent a small fortune on designer clothes for her reborn family but scrimps on spending for her two daughters
All parents are guilty of spoiling their little ones.
Designer clothes, thousand pound prams and silk christening gowns – it’s a parent’s privilege to splash out on their child.
But for mum-of-two Kerrie Williams it’s not her daughters who are kitted out in designer duds – it’s her brood of lifelike vinyl dolls.
Reborns, as the dolls are known, are designed to resemble human babies and can be tailor made to each customer’s specifications.
Kerrie, 33, fell in love with reborns when she stumbled upon baby Owen online and was shocked to discover he was a doll.
She bought him back in 2012 and has since expanded her adopted family to include seven lifelike dolls. And these are some of the best dressed dolls around.
Kerrie has spent £20,000 on Ralph Lauren clothes, baby Converse sneakers and a state-of-the-art pram for her reborn family.
The dolls themselves cost between £150 and £400 each, leaving little cash to spend on her daughters Karina, 13, and Jade, 12.
"My daughters are always asking me for new clothes. I tell them it's a waste of money because they will grow out of them,” explained Kerrie.
"Karina wanted a pair of Vans trainers and was furious when I told her I couldn't afford them.
"She gets jealous because I bought the reborns the same pair - but they can wear them forever."
The part-timer carer from Darlington, County Durham, began collecting reborns after suffering a devastating miscarriage in January 2012.
"I was 12 weeks pregnant when I miscarried and I hit rock bottom afterwards. I just desperately wanted another child.
"My daughters were too old for my hugs and attention. They preferred to go out with their friends instead.
"I love my daughters so much, but babies are completely dependent on their mums, and all I wanted was another little one to hold."
Unfortunately, Kerrie’s reborn family also took its toll on her relationship with her now former partner Mark.
After selling her first reborn Owen for not looking real enough, Kerrie ordered a new ‘baby’, Till, and gave the designer details on her and Paul’s features to make her as realistic as possible.
"I hoped Till would bring us closer together, but instead Paul became very uncomfortable with the dolls and banned them from sleeping in our bedroom.
"We split up soon after Till arrived." Kerrie’s daughters are also unimpressed with their mother’s new litter of little ones.
"I designed a special doll to look just like Karina did as a baby and I hoped she'd bring us closer together as a family,” said Kerrie.
"But Karina doesn't like her and thinks she's ugly.”
Even though she knows the dolls are no substitute for her own daughters, Kerrie has given them an entire room in her house and has plans to add to her reborn family.
"Reborn babies can never replace how special my real children are, but I still love my dolls - no matter what anyone thinks.
"They're always worth spoiling - babies this perfect are worth every penny."
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