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'Hug-A-Hero' Dolls Help Military Children Feel Closer To Their Deployed Parents

Updated September 8, 2021

More than 3,000 U.S. service members are being deployed to the Middle East amid tensions between Iran and the United States, which means more than 3,000 families have suddenly separated from their loved ones, some without any preparation whatsoever.

Coping with that separation is never easy, but it can be especially difficult for young military children who may not entirely understand why their mom or dad suddenly isn't around anymore.

In an effort to help those kids deal with deployment and the absence of their parents, one North Carolina company has begun offering dolls that will hopefully comfort children while their parents aren't there to offer that comfort themselves.

"Hug-a-hero" dolls may not be able to bring deployed parents home, but they can offer military children the next best thing.

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According to the Charlotte Observer, each adorable, huggable plushy has a photo of the child's deployed mom or dad printed on it, offering them the chance to hold their absent loved one so they can feel closer to them, no matter what the distance.

Former army wife Tricia Dyal is the woman behind the touching hero dolls.

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Dyal, whose husband is a retired Marine, began crafting the homemade dolls after her great aunt made a similar one to offer her daughter some much-needed comfort while Dyal's husband was deployed.

Spying an opportunity to help even more military children than just her own, Dyal and her close friend started the company Daddy Dolls.

The "hug-a-hero" dolls are available for purchase online and can be customized to suit each specific child's need.

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On the Daddy Dolls website, people can order the dolls with a deployed parent's picture on one side ($26.45), both sides ($32.95), or go big and order a 3-foot doll for $68.85.

Customers can choose the fabric for their doll, add text if desired, and even have the option of including a voice recording so that the child can hear their parent's voice as well as see their face.

Daddy Dolls doesn't just offer comforting figures to military children.

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Anyone who's missing someone can order a doll with their loved one's picture. You can also get throw pillows, photo tags, and even "pet pals", which turn your furry friend into a life-sized plushy.

In an effort to help as many families get a "hug-a-hero" doll as possible, Dyal is holding a massive giveaway.

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Through her main business, Dyal Studios, she has spent the last 12 weeks drawing names each week to give one doll away for free to a local family in the Jacksonville area.

However, after word began to spread, more and more requests have poured in, and Dyal has realized she's going to need to do something bigger than simply picking a name from a fishbowl.

Now she plans on possibly teaming up with the USO or Red Cross to distribute the dolls all across the country.

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Along with broadening their reach, Dyal's company has been able to offer even more free dolls, thanks to her generous community.

One of her clients, who is a real estate agent, recently donated $5,000 to the giveaway and has since challenged other local agents to do the same.

"It's just become this Daddy Doll challenge, and so now everybody is challenging the other person," Dyal said.

If you're interested in entering the "hug-a-hero" doll giveaway, click here.

h/t: Charlotte Observer

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