SHAWNEE, Kan. — The Doll Cradle, located at 10910 Johnson Drive in Shawnee, is a portal to nostalgia for many. The store has hundreds of dolls and thousands of items related to them — including Chiefs and Royals gear.
But the magic happens behind the cloth door in the back wall of the store, where their Doll Hospital is located.
Connie Harrel stands in the “surgery room” as she attaches the leg to a leather-bodied doll that is hundreds of years old, made in Germany.
She says the process takes patience, as she waits for the glue to dry.
“We do restoration, not just repair, to maintain its value,” Harrel said.
She has been giving new life to dolls for 55 years, in this case, using antique leather gloves as patches.
She calls herself the Head Doll Doctor — a title she holds proudly.
“It makes me feel good to know that I saved a life,” Harrel said.
Lives, she says, can have different values — both financial and sentimental.
“I had a lady bring in a teddy bear. It was worth $6,000, and she had no idea,” Harrel said.
Ben Thomas is one of her clients. You can see his eyes shining as he talks about the place. As a kid, he couldn't have dolls.
“Mom wouldn't let me play with them because boys don't play with dolls,” Thomas said.
Almost 60 years later, he embraced what he missed.
“It was like my childhood was suddenly right there, and I almost cried,” Thomas said.
It became a collection, with more than 200 dolls. Many of them he bought at estate sales.
“I’d bring in one that just looked terrible, and it would go to the Barbie Doll Hospital, you know? When it came back to me, it looked like it was from 1960,” Thomas said.
“There are so many things going on in the world, and to know that you did something to change someone's life is amazing,” Harrel said.
Connie says time has gone by in the blink of an eye — and with rising costs, things haven't been easy.
“Every day is a struggle,” Harrel said.
But she's stitching the pieces together, remaining strong for her clients. Some are kids, but many are “old ladies.”
They come from all over as well — she has boxes stacked from different locations, with dolls to be fixed inside.
“When I open the box, I get excited when I see it, and I can't wait to start working on it,” Harrel said.
An excitement she hopes to continue feeling for years to come.
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KSHB 41 reporter Fernanda Silva covers stories in the Northland. She also focuses on issues surrounding immigration. Share your story idea with Fernanda.
