It's a parent's worst nightmare: an infant born prematurely - or with a serious illness - and facing a long hospital stay.
Many parents can't be at the hospital 24 hours a day, so oftentimes, babies are comforted by extraordinary volunteers.
Like our KNX "Hero of the Week," who gently nurtures newborns, one cuddle at a time.
Mary Sidell, in fact, is an all-star 'cuddler'.
"My first baby that I cuddled was about 13 months ago," Mary says.
Mary volunteers at Dignity Health California Hospital Medical Center in downtown Los Angeles. She gives babies a much-needed hug, when parents and nurses are unable to.
"I go once a week, for four hours. And it's just the time of the week I look forward to the most!"
In just a small amount of time, Mary has already cuddled more than 100 babies.
"When I think about it, I get a little teary-eyed," she says.
There's more to cuddling than just comforting a newborn. Cuddling and human touch is very important when it comes to a child's development.
"Cuddling really gives a baby a sense of security and helps social development later on," Dr. Richard Kang, the Medical Director of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Dignity Health-Northridge, says.
He says cuddling also encourages weight gain and helps regulate the baby's heart rate, and body temperature.
"That's why people like Mary are important. Especially in premature babies, that are left in incubators. You can imagine that without people like Mary, they can be left in there for a large amount of time," Kang says.
Sometimes parents have to work, or take care of other children, and cannot stay at the hospital for 24-hours.
"It must be heart-breaking for a parent to have a baby and not be able to take it home," Mary says.
Mary Sidell's compassion has helped guide the lives of so many little ones. That is why she is this week's KNX Hero of the Week!
KNX Heroes is presented by California Resources Corporation, saluting our military veterans, and all of our heroes!
If you would like to nominate a hero, just send an email to heroes@KNX1070.com.
Heather Jordan, KNX 1070 News Radio.
