Can Hugs Heal?

According to research by psychologist Dr. Sheldon Cohen, hugs can actually protect our health and improve our immune system. “We know that people experiencing ongoing conflicts with others are less able to fight off cold viruses. “

“We also know that people who report having social support are partly protected from the effects of stress on psychological states, such as depression and anxiety,” the study’s lead author, psychologist Dr. Sheldon Cohen, said in a statement. “We tested whether perceptions of social support are equally effective in protecting us from stress-induced susceptibility to infection and also whether receiving hugs might partially account for those feelings of support and themselves protect a person against infection.”

I remember a story I read about two twin baby girls. When they were born on Oct. 17, 1995, they were premature by 12 weeks and were put in the neonatal intensive care unit of the Medical Center in Central Massachusetts in Worcester.

As a standard practice of the hospital, the babies were placed into separate incubators in order to reduce the risk of infection.

One baby, Kyrie, was much larger than her sister Brielle, who only weighed two pounds at her birth. The larger baby, Kyrie, slept well and was healthily gaining weight, but her smaller sister, Brielle, was having trouble breathing and had low levels of oxygen in her blood, as well as low weight gain and problems with her heart rate.

Everyone was deeply concerned, especially a particular nurse named Gayle Kasparian, who was trying everything that she could think of to help Brielle.

Then, on Nov. 12th, Brielle had an emergency health situation. She started gasping for air and started turning a gray-blue color. Then she got hiccups, and her heart rate went way up.

Everyone was so afraid Brielle would not survive.

In desperation, nurse Kasparian remembered a common procedure a fellow colleague had mentioned to her once that was common practice in most of Europe, but was not done here in this country.

It was the practice of placing “newborn baby multiple births” in beds together. They called it double bedding. Even though she could not ask permission from her manager, since she was away and was not able to be reached, she asked the parents for their permission to put the girls together in one bed to see if it would help. They agreed. So, nurse Gayle broke the rules and placed the larger baby with her smaller baby sister, now in extreme danger of dying.

The moment they were placed together in the bed, Brielle immediately snuggled up to her sister and within minutes, Brielle’s readings for her blood and oxygen levels were better than they had been since her birth. Kyrie gently put her arm around Brielle. It was such a beautiful hug.

Nurse Gayle did not get in trouble. In fact, the practice of double bedding multiple births is now a standard practice at the hospital. Sometimes, breaking the rules can lead to changes in old antiquated practices. It takes courage and a strong heart to do what you believe in.

So, as we lead our busy lives, remember that our connectiveness and our ability to love are so precious, that we can literally save another’s life by just being there for them.

So, share those wonderful hugs with your loved ones.

Take the time to truly listen, be present and reach out with the most precious gift you can give.

That is the precious gift of you.

You may never know how much of an impact that your hug and/or your smile might have on another life, but it is something you can give every day without spending a penny.

I am mentally sending hugs to you all!

Much love, and have a joyful and loving month of February.

Love, Nancy

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Information provided in this podcast, blog, article, video is for informational purposes only. The information is a result of years of practice and experience by Nancy Addison CHC. However, this information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional, or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging.
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