CLEVELAND — As more babies in the Cleveland Clinic’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) are in need of comforting touch, quality time, and bonding for development, more local medical students are stepping in as volunteers. The opportunity is provided by the clinic’s “NICU Cuddling Program.”
The cuddling program started back 2017 with just community volunteers to help fill the absence of parents unable to tend to their baby in the NICU for various reason. Yet, during the pandemic, the need for cuddles and care grew larger.
“Everything was basically shut down. There were no volunteers in our NICU program, allowed to come to the hospital,” said Patti Kaser, RN, BDN, Nicu Volunteers Coordinator.
To work around and still abide by health precautions and COVID mandates, Kaser and her colleague came up with the cuddling program incorporating medical students who were already cleared to access, manage, and help care for patients.
“The ones that are working so far love it and I know I have a new list of medical students that want to get involved,” Kaser said.
The opportunity has been fulfilling while confirming Aqua Abrah’s life dream.
“Ever since my family and I went back to Ghana, and I saw some of the healthcare disparities there, I’ve just been very interested in natal care and childcare, and kind of early life care,” she said.
After just a few days of volunteering for the cuddling program, Abrah, a second-year Lerner College medical student, says the bonds formed have become a transformative, and calming experience.
“When you have stress from school, just go and hold a baby. It literally solves all of life‘s problems.”
Abrah recalls one baby boy having that lasting effect on her. She says the baby was irritable while recovering from neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), which happens when a baby is born with and is dependent on drugs during pregnancy.
“This is like I think the second baby I held, and he was just crying. He must’ve been maybe just less than two weeks old. He was very young. I’m just trying to pack this baby, I’m like I’m sorry what else can I say? I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m not a mother, but I’m trying to rock and pat and he still just wailing,” Abrah said.
Abrah explained that after trying out a few cuddling positions, and a lot of help from a NICU nurse, “it was like almost instantaneously that he stopped and after more rubbing and padding he was slee; but every now and then he would like look up at me eyes closed, of course, because he’s asleep, but then he’ll smile and it was just like the cutest thing on the planet.”
That memorable experience has stuck with Abrah and other future doctors as well. Kaser explained that while the families are getting the help they need to care for their babies, the volunteers also help lighten the load off nurses. Still, more volunteers are welcomed.
To learn more about the NICU Cuddling Program, click here.
