ST PAUL, Minn. — American Girl has long been a store where little girls see themselves reflected in the iconic dolls, accessories and storylines.
It's even more vivid for Otsego, Minnesota toddler Lila Monetti, who can quite literally see herself on shelves.
Every year, the popular doll maker releases a Girl of the Year doll with a unique storyline. And this year, the company crowned the latest edition as Lila Monetti from St. Paul.
Wait... what?
By sheer coincidence, the doll and the "real" girl have the same name and home state.
So, KARE 11 Sunrise went to meet the real-life Lila Monetti. Mom Michaela said she likes to serve ice cream and provide medical care to her patients - though those patients are toys.
"She likes to play doctor a lot, we think she's gonna be Doctor Lila," Michaela said.
Dad Jared Monetti said he was shocked when he found out about the doll.
"I got a text from my mom, she was like, 'Check this out!'" Jared said. "It was a link to a doll named Lila Monetti. I thought she had just customized a doll on the website. And then I Googled it. [American Girl] had named this Girl of the Year Lila Monetti."
The Girl of the Year doll has zero actual connection to this Minnesota family. But she - like the real Lila - also lives in the North Star State.
"I'm like, 'There's no way they could've found a name like that without finding my family,'" Jared said.
American Girl thankfully confirmed that there was no spying on the real Lila Monetti to create the doll. The fictitious 10-year-old's backstory and name were written by an author.
To celebrate the coincidence, the company sent over Lila's tiny twin, along with a book journaling the doll's adventures in gymnastics and at horse camp.
"It's so crazy to see the name in print like this. This is absolutely nuts," Jared shared.
The doll's journal includes a map of Minneapolis and St. Paul, just mere miles away from the real-life Lila's location. And the real Minnesota Lila may eventually take up the doll's hobbies, or find some of her own. Either way, the future is bright for this toddler.
The Lila Monetti doll is available for purchase now along with accessories and her journal. American Doll is also releasing an accompanying novel, "Lila Goes for Gold," on Jan. 2.
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