As far as I can remember, I have always been surrounded by dolls. My Childhood and adult life have passed by with memories of many, many dolls and teddy bears.
My mother worked at home as a doll dressmaker for a big doll factory in Bogota Colombia . I recall watching her while she was making patterns, sewing dresses and talking to her momentary friends .... "DOLLS".....at the same time.
During school vacations I worked at the production plant for the same doll factory my mother used to work. I wanted to be a real doctor; I had passion for medicine, but at that time it was very expensive to attend and study it at a university, and there was no financial aid available.
After I graduated from high school, I studied business administration and worked full time at the doll factory.
Combining my taste for medicine and the experience in administration, production and marketing of dolls, I followed my brother's idea about starting a “CLINICA DE MUNECOS” Doll hospital. And that is exactly what we did. And now it is rewarding to say that from the early seventies we have kept most of our family members busy working at the “Clinica de Muñecos Casas Reyes” in Bogota , Colombia .
During my first visit to N.Y. in 1986 I had a big surprise: I found out about “THE N.Y. DOLL HOSPITAL” in Manhattan , a place very familiar to my own, thousands of miles away from home.
I decided to meet with Irving Chais, the owner, and we kept in touch for a while until we started working together the following year.
These last 20 years of more experience at THE NEW YORK DOLL HOSPITAL; gave me new ideas, knowledge, techniques, materials and some '' tricky treatments for .........tricky sickness". All together have full-filled my personal and professional life.
SECAUCUS DOLL AND TEDDY BEAR HOSPITAL
Dr. LUIS H. CASAS Director.