Sick, premature baby is 'hugged' by her twin sister, then her health takes a drastic change

A pair of premature twins changed the course of medical history when they survived a life-threatening ordeal through the mere power of touch.

In this age of medical advancements, this story of a pair of premature twins proves a simple touch has the capacity to heal what medicine can’t.

Brielle and Kyrie Jackson are twins who were born 12 weeks ahead of their due date in 1995. They both weighed 2 pounds and were cared for separately in intensive care for three weeks. Brielle was weaker of the two. She had difficulty breathing and her heartbeat started to rise. Doctors were pessimistic of her chances of survival.

In the midst of wavering hope, one of the babies’ nurses, Gayle Kasparian brought up the unconventional idea of joining the twins in one incubator. With the parents’ permission, Kyrie was placed beside her ailing sister hoping their close proximity would help her condition. The aim was to encourage skin-to-skin contact between the two, a practice countries outside of the US had already been employing for preemies.

The idea turned out to be genius. Just as Kyrie placed her arm over her sister, Brielle’s health improved. Through the miracle of mere touch, her heart rate stabilized and she breathed stronger and normally.

That day changed the lives of the twins as well as many other siblings like them who benefitted from what is now deemed as the “rescuing hug.” The practice is currently being employed for cases similar to the Jacksons whose story altered the course of medicine.

More than 20 years later, the twins have grown and show no signs of their early struggles. They are proof of the healing power of the human touch.

This was also the case with a pair of twins who wouldn't stop crying when they were apart as babies. Their nurse discovered that the only way to silence them was to keep them together. A video of them was taken by their father to prove that they preferred to be touching each other. The clip went viral when it was shared by a publication in May.

Today, more and more parents are resorting to skin-to-skin contact to calm their babies and regulate their health. The technique known as “Kangaroo Care” encourages mothers and fathers to place their babies’ bare skin against their bare chest. The snuggle reportedly provides warmth and bonding as well as helps stabilize heart and respiratory rates. It also promotes the improvement of oxygen saturation rates, regulation of body temperature and the conservation of baby’s calories.

With all the advancements in technology, skin-to-skin care is a testament to the simple solutions nature has to offer. Human contact is a wondrous thing and the human body never ceases to amaze.