Thu. May 2nd, 2024

I saw this on Twitter (X) and thought I would share.

The hug that saved a life

In 1995, the twins, Kyrie and Brielle Jackson, were born 12 weeks premature, each weighing only about 2 pounds. They were placed in separate incubators. One twin was not expected to survive. She went into critical condition. Her heart rate was rising while her oxygen level was dropping significantly. They were about to lose her. It was then that one nurse, Gale Kasparian, went against the hospital rules and standard procedure, putting the healthy twin next to her struggling sister in the same incubator. This decision turned out to be life-saving. Once the twins were close to each other, the struggling sister (Brielle) snuggled up to the healthy sister (Kyrie) who put her arms around Brielle. Almost immediately after, Brielle’s vital signs started stabilizing. Her heart rate and oxygen levels normalized. Both twin sisters eventually survived and grew into strong young women. The picture below came to be known as the rescuing hug and would change a part of our understanding of medicine. Hugging that is coming from the heart is proven to have calming and healing effects. Maybe there is someone in your life that can use a warm and heartfelt hug right now?

Dr Tess Lawrie @lawrie_dr

Mondays are tough. Being a doctor is tough. DPC is a great job but isn’t perfect and it is lonely at times. Debbie and I are giving you all a virtual hug right now. Share it with others.

Oh, and here are the twins today:

171220cookie-checkWe Need Each Other
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By Douglas Farrago, MD

Douglas Farrago MD is board certified in the specialty of Family Practice. He is the inventor of a product called the Knee Saver which is currently in the Baseball Hall of Fame. The Knee Saver and its knock-offs are worn by many major league baseball catchers. He is also the inventor of the CryoHelmet used by athletes for head injuries as well as migraine sufferers. From 2001 – 2011, Dr. Farrago was the editor and creator of the Placebo Journal which ran for 10 full years. Described as the Mad Magazine for doctors, he and the Placebo Journal were featured in the Washington Post, US News and World Report, the AP, and the NY Times. Douglas Farrago, MD received his Bachelor of Science from the University of Virginia in 1987, his Masters of Education degree in the area of Exercise Science from the University of Houston in 1990, and his Medical Degree from the University of Texas at Houston in 1994. His residency training occurred way up north at the Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, Maine. In his final year, he was elected Chief Resident by his peers. Dr. Farrago has practiced family medicine for twenty-three years, first in Auburn, Maine and now in Forest, Virginia. He founded Forest Direct Primary Care in 2014, which quickly filled in 18 months. Dr. Farrago still blogs every day on his website Authenticmedicine.com and lectures worldwide about the present crisis in our healthcare system and the effect it has on the doctor-patient relationship. Dr. Farrago’s has written three books on direct primary care: The Official Guide to Starting Your Own Direct Primary Care Practice, The Direct Primary Care Doctor’s Daily Motivational Journal and Slowing the Churn in Direct Primary Care (While Also Keeping Your Sanity) are all best sellers in this genre. He is a leading expert in direct primary care model and lectures medical students, residents, and doctors on how to start their own DPC practice. He retired from clinical medicine in October, 2020.

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