Manheim Township townlively.com
FEBRUARY 21, 2024
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL XXXIX • NO 38
Bonnie Keller has perfect touch for baby cuddling BY JEFF FALK
I
t explores and emphasizes the importance of human touch and human interaction. But what Bonnie Keller has discovered about baby cuddling is that it can be a symbiotic relationship. Yes, baby cuddling is a real thing, and it’s as heartwarming as it sounds. A resident of Manheim Township and a retired private adoption agency director, Keller performs her fascinating volunteer work in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of Women & Babies Hospital, 690 Good Drive, Lancaster. “Most of them are little wee ones,” said Keller of the babies she snuggles. “The littlest people you’ve ever seen, and they need help to grow. It’s very comforting to see them grow every week. It’s very satisfying seeing the flower open up.” Keller is one of 60 volunteers who cuddle babies inside Women & Babies’ NICU - 52 women and
eight men from all par ts of Lancaster County. The babies are also from ever ywhere in Lancaster County, infants as young as 22 weeks old and usually facing some type of health challenge.
“Human interaction is so important to development. Human interaction helps them to eat better and sleep better.” Typically, the babies’ stays in the NICU range from seven days to four months. “Some are premature and can’t fight off infections,” said Margi Bowers, nurse manager of Women & Babies’ NICU. “There is research that shows infants who receive human touch have more positive outcomes, like gaining
weight faster. Evidence shows that human touch increases the likelihood of trusting relationships later in life.” “I t g ives them a place in the world by looking into another person’s face,” said Keller. “Human interaction is so important to development. Human interaction helps them to eat better and sleep better. If we can be there when mom and dad can’t, that’s great.” “Sometimes mom is really sick,” said Bowers. “Giving birth isn’t easy. Some moms have other children at home or have to go back to work. Sometimes it’s teenage moms who have to go back to school. Moms and dads just aren’t here all the time.” The NICU’s baby cuddling program has a waiting list that the hospital reviews once a year. Before they are accepted into the program, baby cuddlers undergo a thorough background check and training. They work in threehour shifts, and a baby cuddler is See Baby cuddler pg 3 Bonnie Keller has been a baby cuddler for 10 years.
BY ADRIAN ESCHENWALD
If you’ve lived in southeastern Pennsylvania for more than a year, you are likely familiar with the region’s inconsistent weather patterns that accompany the changing of the seasons. As winter draws to a close every year, the frigid nights are contrasted with warm days, confusing local wildlife and Lancastrians alike. Although it might be inconvenient for residents to leave the house with
a warm jacket they won’t need for another 12 hours, the erratic weather makes the area a perfect place to find nature’s sweetest treat: maple syrup. Maple trees that are located in cold climates accumulate sap in their trunks and roots to prepare for winter. In early spring, the trees convert the sap’s starch to sugar, after which it is pumped throughout their branches to grow new leaves. The process relies on the alternating daytime and nighttime temperatures See Maple pg 2
Navigating the ever-changing world of technology BY JEFF FALK
Technology can be complex and confusing. That can lead to frustration and a lack of confidence. But the Manheim Township Public Library (MTPL) is there to help. The local library offers te chnolo g y s up p or t in the form of classes and one-on-one appointments. “I definitely see people who are frustrated and overwhelmed,” said Katy Basile, the adult services manager at MTPL. “What I try
Alli Salimbeni instructs students in Manheim Township Public Library’s
See Tech support pg 3 computer basics class.
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Sometimes, candy does grow on trees