ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A girl from Arlington Heights is once again featured in this year's holiday catalog for the American Girl dolls.
The Daily Herald reports Annie Osterhues, who is in third grade, was chosen to be in the catalog for the second time in three years.
What makes Annie's appearance a bit different is that she has Down syndrome.
A spokeswoman for American Girl, which is owned by Mattel and based in Wisconsin, told the Daily Herald the company's goal is to "celebrate the unique qualities of all girls."
Susan Jevers, associate manager for public relations for American Girl in Middleton, Wisconsin, said the company has been including girls with Down syndrome in their catalogs and advertising since 2014. American Girl has been a subsidiary of Mattel since 1998.
This latest catalog came out in early November, and it was Annie's classmates who saw it first. They brought it to school to show everyone, which made Annie felt like a celebrity, her mother told the "Daily Herald."