There are a lot of lonely children in the hospital and it is sad to see how many parents don't come to visit them. Research has proven that human contact is necessary for nurturing and developing a trusting relationship, and the Cuddlers provide that contact when the parents are absent. Providing constant attention to these babies who remain in the hospital for long stays is not always possible, and that is where the Cuddlers come in. Nurses don't have the time to be one on one with the children. Sandra Wigglesworth, director of volunteer services at Shands, said the hospital stresses the importance of volunteers.
Most volunteers are students trying to meet volunteer requirement hours.
Last year more than 1,900 volunteers worked at Shands, putting in more than 95,000 hours, Wigglesworth said.