So simple, yet so clever!
They say necessity is the mother of invention – and in the case of this mum that’s doubly true.
When Yamile Jackson went into labour prematurely with her son Zachary, now aged 15, he weighed less than two pounds and had to spend 155 days in the NICU.
Of course she hated leaving her baby at night, so she came up with a genius way for Zachary to feel like his mum was still with him. Drawing on her skills as a doctor in ergonomics and human factors engineering, she created a simple glove filled with beans to tuck against her son as he slept. She cuddled the glove to her all day so it smelled like her, giving Zachary the feeling that his mum was close.
And it worked so well that when it was time to leave, the nurses asked if she would mind making gloves for the other babies. She did, calling them Zakys, and eventually formed the company Nurtured by Design – even being awarded a grant from Oprah to develop her company.
So what makes the gloves so special? Well, according to an independent study carried out in 2011 by Georgia College, the effect of Zakys scented by the preemie babies’ mums comforted them, helping them self- regulate their breathing and encouraging much-needed sleep.
They also cradle the babies, helping support their musculoskeletal development; and by virtue of the fact they’re being held, it goes a long way in making them feel loved and cared for when mum can’t be with them.
Amazing!
