...

real life

GREAT-GRANDMA:

I spend more
on my fake
babies than my
grandchildren
Retired Christina Cotgrove has splurged 45k on her 22
reborn dolls and even takes them out for day trips

oud think
with 16
grandchildren
and six greatgrandchildren,
Christina Cotgrove would have
her hands full.
But, incredibly, the greatgrandma has splashed out
45k on life-like reborn dolls
and spends more on them
than her grandchildren.
Christina, 69, has 22 reborns.
She even bathes, changes and
bottle feeds them, as well as

PHOTOS: HOTSPOT MEDIA

Christina
loved
playing
with dolls
as a child

taking them out for day trips to

theme parks.
Mum-of-seven Christina
a retired nurse and foster carer
from Kent says: People
may think its strange, but
I love my babies. Some of my
children tell me my collection
is creepy but I dont care. They
know how much they mean to
me. Some of my grandkids love
the dolls and play with them,
but a couple arent so keen.
I spend lots of time with
both the reborns and my
grandchildren, so theres never
any jealousy however, I
definitely spend more money
on the dolls than the kids! The
kids still get treated so I dont
feel guilty its my one luxury.
I didnt have the money
to splash out as much when
I was a new mum as I had a
mortgage and bills. But now
I use all my savings and money

THE MUM-O
F-SEVEN H
ERE WITH
REBORN DO
LL PETER
SA
YS HER
HUSBAND D
AVID IS SUPP
ORTIVE

I inherited from my mum on

the dolls.

full of kids. Ive always been

maternal buying reborns
gives me another chance at
being a mum.
MATERNAL NATURE
Christina who lives with
But not everyone understands.
her retired husband David,
Christina confesses: My eldest
69, and has five children, aged
daughter, Andrea, 48, hates the
between 34 and 48, plus two
dolls. She thinks theyre creepy
and avoids them when she visits. adopted 18-year-olds bought
her first reborn in 2010.
I take them out in prams
She says:
Ive always
MY CHILDREN
loved dolls,
and my
THINK MY DOLLS
mum used
to buy one
ARE CREEPY, BUT
for me every
birthday
I LOVE MY BABIES when I was
little.
When she died, I was left
and on day trips to theme parks.
a bit of money, and decided
I bathe them, change their
to buy my first reborn after
nappies, dress them and give
reading about them. I loved
them a dummy. Ive been
the way they looked so lifelike.
a foster carer for 20 years so
I bought my first handcrafted
Im used to having a house

SAYS
CHRISTINA
ULARLY
EG
R
E
PL
PEO
DOLLS
MISTAKE HER
ABIES
FOR REAL B

baby, Chrissy, from eBay for

300 and immediately fell in
love. When I picked her up
I felt like I was holding a real
baby she was adorable.
AN ADDICTION

Christina adds: A couple of

weeks later, I got her a little
brother for 250 from eBay.
Soon I was addicted to buying
dolls. I then developed heart
and kidney problems and was
unable to foster children, so
the reborns filled a void.
Over the next year,

Christinas obsession escalated

and she bought five more
dolls online, costing up to
300 each. She says: When
I opened the box and saw their
faces I was filled with joy. I can
spend up to 100 on an outfit
for each of my dolls, including
onesies, dresses and shoes.
I buy clothes online, spending
up to 500 a month more
than I spend on the children.
Within five years, Christinas
collection has grown to 22
dolls. She says: My most
expensive one is Zoe, costing
3k. Shes made of silicone

and has perfect, soft brown

hair. My husband decorated our
spare room and turned it into
a nursery, where the dolls sleep
at night, in either prams or cots.
Christina also enjoys taking
her dolls on trips. She says:
Once I took doll Edward
to Chessington World Of
Adventures in a pram with
my two teenage children.
A woman came over, but when
she realised it was a reborn she
ran off screaming.
ONLINE COMMUNITY

Christina even has a sevenyear-old reborn child bought

for 300 15 years ago which
lives in her nursery. Christina

says: Shes called Gisele. I get

her lovely clothes, too, but
I dont take her out of the house
as shes too big. I change her
clothes and do her hair.
Christina has a bulging
wardrobe for her dolls, with 50
outfits and 60 pairs of shoes.
She adds: Every so often,
Ill bathe the dolls. Then Ill
put baby powder on them
and change their nappies,
before dressing them. I make
YouTube films of them
theres a huge reborn doll
community in the UK.
It doesnt bother me if
people think theyre weird,
my dolls make me so happy.
By Emily Cope and Sian Wilson

CLOSERONLINE.CO.UK

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