Chile Volunteers Give Hospital Babies Daily Hugs and Hope

Two-month-old Esteban sleeps peacefully in a volunteer's arms at San Juan de Dios Hospital in Santiago, even though he has no illness keeping him there. He's one of hundreds of Chilean babies who remain hospitalized simply because they have no parents to care for them.

These babies face a heartbreaking wait of up to two years while family courts decide their futures. Without regular human contact during those crucial early months, they risk developing chronic emotional deprivation that can lead to serious psychological and behavioral problems throughout their lives.

That's where the Abrázame Más (Hug Me More) program steps in. Trained volunteers commit to visiting specific babies daily, providing the stable emotional bonds these infants desperately need to develop normally.

Psychiatrist Eduardo Jaar explains that newborns are deeply social beings from their first moments of life. Skin-to-skin contact helps babies regulate their emotions, learn to anticipate care, and build the foundation for healthy emotional development.

Without that contact, babies become withdrawn and stop thriving. They lose their appetite, become more vulnerable to illness, and eventually stop crying or making eye contact because they've learned no one will respond.

Psychologist Bárbara Valdivieso sees this transformation regularly at the hospital. Babies need a consistent person whose hands, smell, and voice they recognize to help build their minds and psychological traits.

The Abrázame Foundation started in 2015 supporting children in residential care facilities. Today, 450 volunteers work weekly with nearly 500 children across four Chilean regions.

The hospital pilot program launched in 2024 with eight carefully selected volunteers caring for four babies. These volunteers provide daily attention for however long each baby needs, whether weeks or months, until they're placed with biological, adoptive, or foster families.

Pediatrician Carolina Méndez is clear about why this matters. A hospital filled with sick children and infections is no place for a healthy baby to spend months or years waiting for a family.

Sunny's Take

The volunteers at San Juan de Dios Hospital understand something profound: every baby deserves to be held. These eight volunteers aren't just preventing future problems. They're teaching us that the simplest human act, a hug, can change the trajectory of a life. In a world that often feels rushed and disconnected, they're showing up daily to prove that love, even from a stranger, still counts.

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