With the American population having over 12 million strokes a year, it is very likely that you know someone who has suffered from one, but do you know what that actually means?
A stroke happens when the blood supply to the brain is cut off, or a blood vessel inside the brain ruptures.
The after-effects of having a stroke include brain damage, physical disability, or even death.
In 2014, grandfather Kevin Eubanks suffered a stroke and was left with partial paralysis on the left side of his, he could no longer do many of the things he loved.
Fishing was a passion of Kevin’s that he could no longer participate in, but the main thing he missed was being able to give proper hugs.
Kevin’s daughter, Emily, worked as an occupational therapy professor at Arkansas State University, and she assigned her class a serious project.
She split the students into groups and asked each of them to create a product that could help Kevin, and other stroke survivors, be able to do regular everyday tasks again.
One of the groups was set to come up with an invention that could help Kevin give proper hugs again.
The students were able to meet and talk with Kevin to find out more about him and his needs.
After months of painstaking work, and lots of trial and error, they finally had a design they wanted the man to test.
The product is essentially a wrist wrap strap; it ties around the wrist of the paralyzed area so that the person can grab it with their other arm and lift both together.
Emily sat Kevin down and told him what her students had come up with, and then it was time to test it out.
She wrapped the strap around his wrist, securing it with Velcro, and explained that it was made with a soft material to be more comfortable for the user.
When Kevin’s wrist was secure in the wrap, Emily motioned for her eldest son to give his grandfather a hug.
Immediately, Kevin began to cry; it was the first proper hug he had been able to give in 8 years and was the first proper hug with his grandson ever.
He held the boy tight and kissed his head lovingly.
Then it was time for his second grandson to receive Kevin’s warm and loving embrace.
Kevin was exceedingly grateful to Emily and her students, and their invention aptly named ‘The Hugger’.
The name has since been changed to ‘HugAgain’ as the students have continued to improve on their original design.
“I appreciate everything ya’ll have done.” Kevin said to the camera that would soon be shown to Emily’s students, “This is a dream of mine.”
After being told that the video of him went viral with over 4.6 million views, Kevin made another statement.
“I hope it’s encouraging people to never give up. I want them to see that after eight years of not being able to hug, I now can again, so don’t ever give up.”
[imgsrc caption="Facebook - Emily Eubanks Sisco" link="https://www.facebook.com/emilysaraheubanks/videos/728779668036200/?t=0"]
See Kevin’s emotional first hug with his grandsons in the Facebook video linked below.
Facebook embed:
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
