By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org
Kentwood resident Amy VanDorp made regular visits to her mom’s place, bringing her groceries, dropping off items and just spending time with her.
“I was going over there at least once to a couple of times a week,” VanDorp said.
That was until the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early spring and Michigan’s governor announced the Stay Home, Stay Safe order along with social distance guidelines of at least six feet or more between people, encouraging strict enforcement for those who are older and at higher risk of contracting the virus and becoming seriously ill.
So VanDorp’s visit to her mother changed to her and her family standing on the lawn of her mother’s Byron Center home at least six-feet from the porch where VanDorp’s mother stood. There was no contact, not even a hug.
“I realized I was becoming more frustrated because all I could do is look at her,” VanDorp said. “The more I saw her, the more I just wanted to hug her.”
As a social worker, VanDorp recognizes the power of human contact.
“The power of the human touch releases endorphins,” VanDorp said. “It connects us. It decreases depression.”
After a recent visit with her mom, VanDorp recognized that her desire to have that contact — to at least hug her mom — was so strong, she decided to do something about it.
“I figured someone probably had created something,” VanDorp said, adding that she started thinking about science fiction films that always had a scientist using a glove box, a clear box where the scientist could put their hands in gloves to touch an unusual object or conduct an experiment. She also thought of a neonatal incubator for premie babies that has armholes so a parent is able to touch their child.
But a search through the internet led to VanDorp discovering nothing that would allow her to give her mom a hug. So she decided to make something herself and began to look around her home for items she could use. She spied a clear plastic drop cloth that could be used as a buffer and clear plastic bags that could be used as sleeves to put a person’s hands and arms in to give a hug.
Enter VanDorp’s husband, Jeff, an engineer, who armed with Duct tape, was able to take VanDorp’s idea of the Hug-Able and make it a reality.
“We took the plastic sheet and cut it to create armholes and then used the clear plastic bags and taped them to the armholes,” Jeff VanDorp said.
The family went over to the mother’s house, telling her they had a surprised but not to peek. In the family’s video, Jeff VanDorp tapes the Hug-Able to a door in the garage, creating a protective barrier between her and the family but through the plastic sleeves/garbage bags, they were able to hug.
In the video, you can see how pleased VanDorp’s mother is to be able to hug her family members, saying things such as “This is awesome.” “This is beautiful.” “Can I keep this going all night?”
“She called me the next day and said she slept wonderful that night,” VanDorp said, adding that she does credit the power of being able to hug.
The family posted a video about their journey to create the Hug-Able as to give other people ideas of what they might be able to do to keep the human connection in these times of social distancing.
“My first goal in making the Hug-Able video was to hug my mom,” VanDorp said. “My second goal was to share the love of God with the people who watched the video.”
If you have questions about the Hug-Able, you can reach the VanDorps at hugable2020@gmai.com.
