It was October 17th, 1995. Paul and Heidi Jackson had just celebrated the birth of their twin girls, Kyrie and Brielle.
However, the twins were born 10 weeks premature. Like many “premies,” they were very small (less than 2 pounds each) and were struggling to survive. Both were placed in intensive care and in separate incubators.
As it so happened, Kyrie began to gain weight and progress. Brielle, not so much. Brielle’s weight stayed very low and she was struggling to survive. Many expected that she wouldn’t make it.
Then it happened.
On November 12th, Brielle became quite ill and went into critical condition. In fact, according to Gayle Kasparian, their nurse, her heart rate rose considerably and she started turning blue. They didn’t expect Brielle to live.
Gayle then had a novel idea. She would help the sick twin relax by placing the stronger twin next to her in the same incubator. At the time, this was unthinkable due to the dangers of infections, suffocation, etc… It was just not done (co-mingling premature siblings went against the hospital protocol and wasn’t even considered).
What happened next was inspirational. Kyrie placed her arm around her sister in what is now known as the “Rescuing Hug.” Brielle began to relax, her heart rate came down, and started pumping oxygen throughout her body. It was a miracle and demonstrated how a simple hug can heal.
Not only did Kyrie’s magical hug save her sister but it changed the medical world forever.
Go to the next page to see the inspirational video
