Connecticut toy maker selling Dr. Fauci plush doll
An illustration of a Dr. Fauci stuffed toy. (Courtesy of New England Toy)
SIMSBURY, Conn. (AP) - The nation's top infectious disease specialist is getting a plush doll made in his likeness.
Simsbury, Connecticut-based New England Toy, which makes custom plush bears and other toys, has created a 12-inch version of Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases who has often appeared with President Trump at media briefings during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The doll sells for $25 and the company says $5 from each sale will go to a COVID-19 charity.
Company founder Josh Livingston told The Hartford Courant he sees Dr. Fauci as a hero.
"I'm very inspired by him," he said. "I just love his no-nonsense approach and how he speaks the truth, whether it's something you want to hear or you don't."
The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum in Milwaukee earlier this month announced it would be selling a $25 Dr. Fauci bobblehead doll, with some of the funds going to provide personal protective gear for health care workers.
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Fauci's face also appears on socks. And a Rochester, New York, shop is selling doughnuts with his face, surrounded by white frosting and topped off with red, white and blue sprinkles.