Did you know?
Children have always been comforted by their toys.
Toys give children hope for tomorrow.
The true story of Patty Reed’s doll…
In 1848, eight-year-old Patty Reed left Springfield, Missouri, with her family and the Donner Party, she brought along one of her most prized possessions—a wooden doll so small it could fit in the palm of her hand or her apron pocket.
Months later, when dire circumstances forced the group to abandon many of its wagons in the desert near the Great Salt Lake, Patty and the other children were told to bury all toys and non-essential items. The little girl dutifully did as she was told, except for her precious “Dolly,” which unbeknownst to anyone else, Patty hid inside her dress.
Dolly stayed hidden, as Patty’s secret friend and comforter, throughout the bitter ordeal in the Sierra mountains.
Patty would keep Dolly all her life, in fact, maintaining that her love for that doll had kept her alive that cruel winter.
Patty Reed lived to be 85.
Picture of Patty Reed's doll, "DOLLY".
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