The Rescuing Hug                         

You may have heard of this event since it made the news nation-wide and was published in Life and in Readers’ Digest back in the mid-90’s. Twins Brielle and Kyrie were born prematurely to Paul & Heidi Jackson on Oct. 17, 1995 in Worcester, Mass. At 3 weeks old two pound Brielle struggled to breath and was beginning to turn blue. As a last resort nurse Gayle Kasparian went against hospital policy, but with parental permission, to try a practice she had heard of being used in Europe. She placed the failing Kyrie next to Brielle in one incubator. Immediately Kyrie calmed down and began to recover. Brielle had put her arm around the sister she had known in the womb (they had been womb-mates for months). Today they are college students both doing well.

There is healing virtue in a caring touch. I think of the account in the Gospel of Mark where it states that “People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them.” Mar 10:13

We hear a lot on the news about court cases where men have touched women inappropriately. Consequences are just in those cases but let’s not forget the touch that cares and heals.