Oxford Toy Company Releases New 'Case-E' Ebola Nurse Action Figure

At first glance, the new “action figure” released Monday by Hero Builders might appear as just another cringe-inducing toy, a rather ordinary woman except for the scar-like X over one of her eyes.

But the toy is cringe-inducing for other reasons, too.

The figure’s called the “Case-E” Ebola Nurse Action Figure” and is paired with an Ebola-free health certificate. If that wasn’t cringe-worthy enough, the doll is marketed on the website as a gift “just in time for the holidays.”

“We follow situations in the news and with Ebola we kind of stayed away from it,” Emil Vicale, President of Hero Builders told Patch. “Who knew what would happen with Ebola? Once the situation wasn’t as serious, we saw Ebola virus products on sale for Christmas and it was our duty to jump into the fire.”

Ebola, of course, remains something more than a serious situation, ravaging countries in West Africa, killing more than 4,690 people, according to the World Health Organization, with many more people at risk.

Hero Builders has designed other controversial toys and has action figures based on the Russian spy Anna Chapman, whistleblower Edward Snowden, Toronto Mayor Rob Ford and various other political figures.

While the “Case-E” doll resembles Nurse Kaci Hickox, who recently returned to the United States from Sierra Leone, where she was treating Ebola patients, Vicale stated to Time “I don’t know who you’re talking about, I don’t know who Kaci Hickox is. This nurse’s name is Case-E. She bears no resemblance.”

Kaci Hickox was placed under quarantine in New Jersey as she had an elevated temperature upon arrival in Newark. She spent 65 hours under quarantine at University Hospital in Newark despite testing negative for the virus.

After being released on Oct. 27, Hickox returned to Maine, where according to CNN, authorities wanted her to stay at home for the remainder of the 21-day incubation period. Hickox, who successfully defied the mandatory quarantine, is now leaving Maine with her boyfriend Ted Wilbur, the Portland Press Herald reports.

Vicale said it would have been embarrassing for the company not to jump in the mix as their loyal customers would have expected it. “Speaking from past sales, the haters will buy it to prank other folks,” Vicale said laughing. “We get emails calling us names and people think we’re a lightning rod and we have influence but we’re just a toy company.”

While Hero Builders may be laughing about their latest holiday toy, five US airports, including New York’s JFK, Newark, N.J., Washington, D.C.’s Dulles, Atlanta and Chicago O’Hare continue screening protocols for the virus.

Image courtesy Hero Builders

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