INDIANAPOLIS (WTHR) - It's the day before Thanksgiving but Rachel Thomas isn't even thinking about what's for dinner tomorrow.
That's because she'll be spending the night before and much of Thanksgiving Day in the NICU at Riley Hospital with her infant son Tad.
"I more or less hold him the whole time I'm here," Rachel said.
And that's the way it's been for the past 6 months, ever since Tad was born prematurely. His little lungs are so underdeveloped he hasn't been able to go home yet.
"We had a couple weeks where it was really touch and go for awhile, but he's definitely come a long way," she said.
But even as baby Tad has gotten stronger, leaving him to drive two hours home to Bloomfield never gets any easier.
"It definitely gets harder every time," said Rachel.
Rachel doesn't have a choice, though. She's got 5-year-old Reaghan at home who needs her mommy, too.
"No matter where I am, I feel guilty, "
Not as much, though, when Rachel can hand over the baby to someone like Paul Looney.
Looney, 58, is a husband, father, grandfather and part-time volunteer baby cuddler at Riley.
"I get to hold babies. Who doesn't love holding a baby?"
Looney certainly does. He's been part of Riley's cuddler program for 4 years.
"I'm hooked," Looney said. "It's an addiction, really, because they love it and I love it."
The IU Health Network has 50 volunteers like Paul in the program, people who come to the NICU at least once week to hold sick babies.
"We all do this because it's out of love for children," Looney said.
Paul said he does it in part to give back after having two grandsons who spent time in NICUs.
"I give them the love I would my own, because that's what they deserve."
For parents like Rachel Thomas who can't be with Tad 24-7, even though she wants to be, volunteers like Paul have made the separation bearable.
"They'll say, 'oh he's been held for an hour today' and that always makes me feel a million times better."
It would seem the extra love has made a difference for baby Tad too.
"For him to be as well as he is right now and talking about coming home on Christmas, it's truly a miracle."
Thanks in part to the loving touch of people like Paul, who Tad will never remember. People like Paul, who Rachel will never forget.
You can volunteer too.