A Hug That Touched the Soul

"When my mother died at home from terminal cancer, all the people started coming in to pay their respects, plenty of hugging, but the only one that I felt down to my soul was the one from my favorite uncle, he got out of his car, didn't say a word, just opened his arms, and I fell into them sobbing, he never said anything, he knew how close I was to my mom, he just held me as hard as he could, and let me cry. Made me feel better and safe."

Shared by Akiko

The Best Moments - A Mother's Happiness

"After my son learned to walk rather well (around 10 mos. old), I used to walk with him, but I'd be on my knees so that he felt more secure. One day we were walking together in the house and I remember him coming up to me and throwing his arms around my neck and telling me "Love You!" I hugged his little body back and felt sooo happy to be a mommy. The love, reassurance, innocence, and bondmanship of that hug are so vivid to me today. Now when we hug...he always hugs my neck!"

Shared by Marie of Coleman, TX

Brotherly Love

Shared by another friend of Hugs Heal. I think this one would be great for birthday cards for any mom. Don't you?

A Long-Distance Hug Made Closer

This is a photo of my husband, Mickey, and me (Lisanne) this holiday season.

We live over 400 hundred miles apart due to the fact that both of our mothers are ill and I have a brother suffering from cancer that I'm caring for... Thus we do NOT get to see each other often.

Our shared hugs do indeed help to heal my heart, my soul, and my mind.

Shared by Lisanne of South Carolina

A Father/Daughter Hug

A beautiful Black & White of Sean Kelly Dolan and his daughter Riley Ann.

Shared by Sean K. Dolan

9-Year-Old Katelyn Sassin - Kicking Cancer to the Curb

I was recently contacted by a woman named Marie Sassin, who is the mother of a very strong young lady named Katelyn. Katelyn is 9 years old and is currently battling Leukemia. Marie asked me if I could donate any Hugs Heal merchandise to Katelyn's American Cancer Society Relay For Life Team, and I offered to design some Hugs Heal pins for her team and send them to her. I wish I could afford to do more, and I'm hoping that you, my readers, will be able to.

This is what Marie Sassin has to say about her daughter.

"Katelyn Sassin is a caring, sweet loving little girl, she is the best big sister to her little brother and little sister and a good friend and companion to her older sister. Almost a year ago Katelyn was experiencing some pain in her ankles, her daddy and I thought it was from running in gym class. Then the pain starting coming more frequently and with much more severity, moving from her ankles to her knees and elbows. Sometimes our Katie-bug would cry so much and be in so much pain she could not sleep. I would have to help her get dressed and help her to the bathroom. We have been from one doctor to the next (and many ER visits) with no answers. They would tell us it was pulled muscles, or tendons and even once we heard she was making a big deal out of nothing and it was all in her head.
A new pediatrician came along; a caring one who took time to listen and care, took the time to get to the bottom of things. Some blood tests had shown she was anemic, she was hardly eating anything by then and only weighed 60 pounds. Her new pediatrician as well as her daddy and I thought she had some sort or rheumatic disease.

We were then referred to Children's Hospital of Birmingham two hours away. Before you can see a Rheumatic Doctor they like for you to have a bone marrow test because some of the medicines for rheumatic diseases can alter marrow, and if you did have cancer it would not show on a biopsy, so it was by chance that day, September 11th 2008 they ordered a bone marrow aspiration done.

We were told Katelyn has biphenotypic leukemia, which means she has both AML and ALL cell markers, but since the ALL presented the most they will treat her as ALL.

In October Katelyn moved from standard risk cancer patient to standard high risk which means her chemotherapy is more intense and will last longer. She is very very sick and throws up on a daily basis, the medicines have given her ulcers in her mouth and she is very tired.

Over the past five months Katelyn has received nine spinal taps, five bone marrow biopsies, three blood transfusions, a platelet transfusion, one surgery, she has been hospitalized for two weeks with an infection and stopped eating, and she had to be fed through a TPN line. She can not go to school because she may catch an infection so she is homebound taught, but all in all she is a fighter, she will not complain and has kept a sense of humor.

We have good news from her last biopsy that she has remission marrow, the hard chemotherapy will last six more months and then she moves into the final phase which will last one and a half years to make sure the cancer does not come back."

Katelyn Sassin is clearly a brave little warrior, and I really wish I could meet her in person. I'll be keeping her in my thoughts while she and her family are going through all of these difficulties, and when she has beaten this sickness, I know they'll all be stronger for it.

Team Katelyn will be participating in the May 15-16 2009 Relay For Life at the North Alabama State Fairgrounds. Don't forget to visit Katelyn's American Society Relay For Life Team Page and help her team reach their goal by making a donation. Let's hear it for Healthy Living!

A Sisterly Hug

A Photo of Alicia and her little sister Laura

Shared by Alicia from Oceanside, CA

A Hug for a Brave Soldier

"This is Donna and Kevin. He is a soldier in the Army and currently overseas. This is one of the last hugs I received from him. He is greatly missed. He will be home soon. This and other hugs are not like any other. These are the intense 'please don't go, but beacuse you have to I will hug you tight so you dont forget what it feels like in my arms' hugs' "

- Shared by Donna

Photo Submitted by a Friend of Hugs Heal 4

This is my personal favorite of my children!

Shared by Liz from Coleman, Texas

Hugs Heal Story 4 - submitted by a friend of Hugs Heal

I currently have a soldier in Iraq, not too long ago I was crying alot. My brother and I stood in the living realizing we needed eachother. We hugged for a very long time. So long my neck hurt. That hug was needed. I hadn't cried in I dont know how long. It made me realize it's ok to break down, to lose control for that moment and there is always someone right there to hold you when you need them. This hug has helped me through the last three days. I am stronger because my brother and I fell apart together.

-Shared by Donna from Florida

Photo Submitted by a Friend of Hugs Heal 4

A beautiful Father/Son moment, submitted by Gareth of the United Kindom of him and his son Joshua.

Hugs Heal Story 3 - submitted by a friend of Hugs Heal

On August 10, 2006 I had a heart attack. My husband took me to the ER and while they were running all their tests and stabilizing me, he was by my side. Two hours later, they put me in a room to wait for a heart cath operation to see where the blockage was. All of this was happening on the day before our anniversary.

The hospital did not have the staff to do the surgery the next morning, so my husband and I spent our anniversary in my hospital room. I don't remember much because I was on pain medication and all kinds of IV drips. All I know is that every time I opened my eyes, he was there.

The next day was Saturday and during the night one of my IV's had come out. As soon as I got up out of bed, it was evident which one. I was having another heart attack. I was moved to CCU where visitation was limited, so I was alone most of the time. On Monday, after one surgery to find the blockage and another to install four stents, I was moved back to ICU. Spending the whole week in solitude and pain does a lot to the mental psyche and I was getting depressed, even in my fog of morphine.

By Friday, I was able to go to a regular room and was released later that day. But that wasn't the best thing for me.The best thing that happened, the thing that gave me the warmest and most secure feeling, was the first embrace from my husband. It was filled with love, companionship, caring, and happiness. And it made my world right again.

- Linda from Arlington, Texas

A Sleepy Twin Hug!

Here is a photo submitted by Maritha from Stockholm, another friend of Hugs Heal, of her twin grandsons sleeping and hugging. Adorable!

Photo Submitted by a Friend of Hugs Heal 2

This photo of her daughters was submitted by Heather, a myspace friend of Hugs Heal. So cute!

Hugs Heal Story 2 - submitted by a friend of Hugs Heal

My fiancee and I have been having some really hard times with money lately. He is the more laid back person and I am the pessimistic one and I always think we are going to loose everything. Within the last week our situation has started to get worse. When I sit down and stare at our check book it upsets me. I try to find ways to calm down but I cant, I yell at my kids (I know how bad huh?) and cry. When I get like that my daughter who is 3 will come up and hug me and grab my face and tell me its ok....I feel so much better after that, it is like that hug from my baby girl makes the world so much better, and nothing else matters but having her in my arms... I love her so much! Hugs are great. I love hugs!

-Mandy from New York