The Universal Need for Healing

 

The Universal Need for Healing

🌿 Why we all need Healing

An honest look at our inner wounds, and how energy-based practices can restore us

The unseen pain we all carry

You may not always notice it — but beneath the surface of most people’s lives is a low hum of exhaustion, emptiness, or emotional pain. Even those who seem strong, productive, and “fine” are often carrying stress, trauma, or energetic blocks that go unspoken.

Healing isn’t just for the broken

• It’s for the tired.
• It’s for the overthinkers.
• It’s for those holding silent grief.
• It’s for anyone who has ever said, “I don’t even know what’s wrong… I just feel off.”

And that includes all of us.

We live in a time of silent suffering

We’re more digitally connected and spiritually disconnected than ever.

We hustle. We scroll. We react.

But how often do we sit still and actually feel what’s inside?

• Sleeplessness
• Anxiety without a clear cause
• Sudden sadness or numbness
• Digestive issues or fatigue
• Short temper or unexplained mood swings

These are often signs of energetic imbalance — not just psychological or medical conditions. 

Western medicine may call it stress or trauma. Eastern and holistic wisdom calls it a block in the flow of energy.

Healing isn't a luxury. It's a necessity.

What is this “Healing” really?

Healing is not about “fixing” you. It’s about returning to your natural, peaceful state.

True healing reconnects:

Mind and body

Breath and spirit

Past and present

Consciousness and energy

It’s not just the absence of illness. It’s the presence of flow — where energy moves freely through your being and you're grounded, alert, and alive.

In the ancient traditions — Reiki, pranic healing, chakra therapy, sound baths, plant medicine, and meditation — healing is understood as a vibrational, energetic reset.

Why Modern Life Is Making Us Sick (Energetically)

In our world today:

We’re overstimulated but undernourished

We talk to everyone online but feel unheard

We chase goals but lose ourselves in the process

This constant imbalance leads to:

Burnout

Emotional detachment

Physical symptoms with no diagnosis

A feeling of being “stuck” or “disconnected from myself”

You don’t need to hit rock bottom to start healing.

You just need to listen to the inner whisper that says:

“Something inside me needs attention.”

Common Signs You Need Healing (Even If You’re ‘Functioning’)

You often wake up tired even after sleep

You’re constantly busy but feel unfulfilled

You replay conversations in your head days after

You find yourself angry or anxious for no reason

You’ve lost interest in things that once brought joy

Your body feels heavy even when you’ve rested

You cry easily — or find it hard to cry at all

You feel “stuck” in life, unclear on what’s next

These are not flaws.

They’re messages.

Your body and soul are speaking through fatigue, tension, silence, or emotional surges.

But is Healing only for the Spiritual or sick?

No. Healing is for the everyday person:

The working mom who never puts herself first

The man who thinks crying is weakness

The student who’s anxious all the time

The retired person who feels invisible

The high achiever who’s empty inside

We’ve been told healing is only for those with trauma.

The truth? We all carry trauma.

From heartbreaks to childhood wounds, from career pressure to self-judgment — we all need safe space to release, repair, and return to our true energetic blueprint.

What’s blocking your Natural Energy?

There are 7 key energy centers in the body, known as chakras, each governing emotional and physical health.

For example:

The Root Chakra controls your sense of safety and stability

The Heart Chakra governs love, forgiveness, and grief

The Third-eye Chakra governs clarity and insight

When blocked, these centers affect not just your body but your decisions, confidence, relationships, and mental clarity.

Healing practices help clear these blocks, allowing your energy to flow again like a river that was once dammed.

The path to Healing is personal — but universal

Every person’s healing journey is different. For some, it starts with therapy. For others, with yoga. Or a sound bath. Or a plant-based detox. Or journaling. Or even crying after years of holding it in.

But all healing has these in common:

1. Awareness — realizing something inside needs attention

2. Stillness — creating space to listen and feel

3. Surrender — letting go of control and allowing flow

4. Release — emotionally, energetically, or physically

5. Integration — forming new habits, thoughts, beliefs

Why I wrote The Healing Spectrum

I didn’t want to write another book of theory.

I wanted to create a practical, real-world guide for modern people who feel called to heal — but don’t know where to begin.

In The Healing Spectrum: Exploring Energy, Spirit, and Self, I explore:

What each healing system offers (Reiki, Pranic Healing, Breathwork, Sound Healing , Plant Medicine, Somatic Therapy, Chakra Work)

How you can start at your own pace

What each modality feels like?

Real transformation stories

Practices you can try immediately

This book is not for the “already awakened.”

It’s for those who are quietly craving clarity, peace, and flow — and want to start now.

You Don’t Need to Be Fixed. You Need to Be Aligned.

You are not broken.

You are misaligned, tired, disconnected — but not beyond healing.

Whether it’s grief, anxiety, disconnection, or overwhelm — the tools of energy medicine and mindfulness are available to you.

And they work.

You don’t need a guru.

You need intention, space, and simple practices to restore your natural balance.

Ready to Begin? Start Your Healing Journey Today

If you’ve read this far, your soul is already asking for healing.

You’re ready to reconnect with your own power.

You’re ready to remember who you were before the world told you who to be.

My book The Healing Spectrum is your next step — a bridge between ancient practices and modern reality.

📘 Explore the book here:

👉 Buy The Healing Spectrum on Amazon 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FDD38XH1

Or start with a quiet moment today. Sit. Breathe. Listen.

Healing always starts within.

We all need healing.

Not because we are weak.

But because we’ve carried too much, for too long, alone.

This is your permission to stop surviving — and start healing.

Why Healing is No Longer Optional in the Modern World

We’re all wounded — Even if we don’t realize it

Healing used to be associated primarily with physical ailments: you break a bone, you treat it. You catch a virus, you rest and medicate. But today, more than ever, humanity is recognizing a deeper kind of pain—emotional, spiritual, energetic—that doesn’t show up on X-rays or blood tests. We’re facing an epidemic of disconnection, stress, loneliness, and purposelessness.

In every corner of the world, people are silently suffering. And while modern medicine has its strengths, many are discovering its limits. Something essential is missing—a human, energetic, or soulful element that drugs or diagnoses can’t touch.

Healing, in its truest sense, is no longer optional. It’s a necessary journey of becoming whole again. And this book is your map.

🌈 The Healing Spectrum: Unlock Ancient and Modern Energies to Heal Your Life

In a fast-paced world brimming with stress, disconnection, and emotional fatigue, many of us yearn for something deeper — something that nourishes the soul, mind, and body. If you've ever felt this longing, you're not alone. And there's good news: true healing is within your reach.

Introducing the transformative new book:

📘 The Healing Spectrum: Exploring Energy, Spirit, and Self

By KV Shan

This isn’t just another book on wellness. It’s a journey — one that takes you through a vibrant landscape of healing modalities, from ancient traditions to cutting-edge practices in energy psychology.

✨ What you’ll discover inside "The Healing Spectrum"

🌍 Chapter 1: The universal need for Healing

Explore why healing is more than recovery — it’s a return to wholeness and self-alignment.

🔮 Chapter 2: Reiki – The gateway to Energy Healing

Learn how Reiki opens the channels of life-force energy and restores balance to your spirit.

🔥 Chapter 3: Pranic Healing & Qi-Based Systems

Tap into the wisdom of Eastern energy systems that clear blockages and recharge your biofield.

🎵 Chapter 4: Sound Healing

Discover how vibration and frequency can shift your energy and heal trauma at a cellular level.

🧘 Chapter 5: Meditation and Mindfulness

Master the art of stillness and presence to regulate your emotions and elevate your vibration.

🌈 Chapter 6: Chakra Work

Understand the power centers of your body — and how unblocking them leads to spiritual empowerment.

🍃 Chapter 7: Plant Medicine Ceremonies

Journey into ancient plant wisdom and its transformative potential in modern healing rituals.

🤲 Chapter 8: Somatic Therapy

Reclaim your body’s story by healing stored trauma and restoring nervous system balance.

🌬️ Chapter 9: Breathwork

Experience the life-changing power of your own breath — your most powerful healing tool.

🧠 Chapter 10: Energy Psychology (EFT, EMDR & More)

Explore proven methods that bridge mind and body to release trauma, anxiety, and emotional pain.

🧩 Who is this book for?

• Energy healers and spiritual seekers

• Those recovering from trauma or emotional burnout

• Mindfulness practitioners

• Anyone curious about holistic and alternative healing

• Readers ready for deep transformation

🎯 Why you should read The Healing Spectrum

This book is not about following a single method. It’s about empowering you to find what resonates, trust your intuition, and take charge of your healing. Whether you're new to energy work or a seasoned practitioner, this guide offers insight, clarity, and direction for your personal growth journey.

📖 Ready to begin your Healing Journey?

Unlock the wisdom of energy, spirit, and self.

How to Build a Passive Income Powerhouse in 2025

 

 

"How to Build a Passive Income Powerhouse in 2025"

A Complete Guide to Earning $1K–$10K/Month on a Smart Budget — Featuring 30-Day Action Plan, ROI Tools & the Best AI-Powered Income Streams 

Introduction: The Death of Old Passive Income Myths

"Make money while you sleep." We've all heard it. But in 2025, that dream isn't just for Silicon Valley elites or crypto bros. Thanks to AI, automation, and powerful platforms, everyday creators, professionals, and side hustlers are now building real streams of passive income—with minimal upfront investment.

But here's the truth: most people are still chasing outdated methods. Dropshipping? Saturated. Crypto pumps? Risky. MLMs? Please don’t.

This blog lays out exactly how to earn $1K to $10K per month using real-time tools, proven platforms, and automation—without scams or burnout. And if you’re serious about it, the book linked below will walk you through step-by-step systems with real case studies.

 

Why Passive Income Still Matters (More Than Ever)

2025 is an automation-first economy. AI tools are saving people 20+ hours/week. But the biggest winners? Those who learn how to turn one-time effort into long-term income.

Here’s why it matters:

• Job security is volatile.
• AI will replace tasks—not dreams.
• Time freedom isn’t luxury anymore, it’s survival.

Passive income doesn’t mean “do nothing.” It means building once, earning forever. And with today’s tools, it’s never been more achievable.

 Busting the Top 3 Passive Income Lies

Before we dive in, let’s clear out some junk:

1. Lie: You need thousands of followers.
   Truth: You only need a niche audience and a system. The tools in this guide help you scale quietly.
2. Lie: It takes a big budget.
   Truth: You can build your entire passive income stack for under $250/month—and we’ll show how.
3. Lie: It’s too late to start.
   Truth: Most people haven’t even begun. The AI gold rush is still in its early innings. 

The 5 Most Powerful Passive Income Streams (That Work in 2025)

1. Sell Digital Products (Templates, Courses, Ebooks)

Use platforms like Gumroad, Teachable, and Notion to sell what you know. With Canva and ChatGPT, you can design, write, and publish in days—not months.

2. Monetized Newsletters

Tools like Beehiiv let you start free and grow a subscriber base you can monetize through ads, affiliate links, and your own products.

3. Faceless YouTube Automation

Using tools like Pictory and ChatGPT, you can auto-generate scripts, voiceovers, and videos. One viral hit can pay for years.

4. AI-Powered Affiliate Marketing

No blog? No problem. With ConvertKit, Canva, and ChatGPT, you can run a lean, automated affiliate system via email or content micro-sites.

5. AI Chatbots & Automation Services

Sell custom bots using Chatbase or automate tasks for businesses using Zapier—charging setup or subscription fees. 

The 2025 Tool Stack That Prints Money While You Sleep

Your weapon isn’t just knowledge—it’s using the right tools at the right time. Here’s a quick snapshot from the book:

Tool	Purpose	ROI Potential
Notion	Create templates/courses	High
Gumroad	Sell digital products	High
Beehiiv	Monetize newsletters	Very High
Pictory	Faceless video creation	Viral income potential
ChatGPT Plus	Auto-write content, scripts	Time + money saver
Zapier	Automate your business	Saves hours/week
Canva Pro	All visual content	Brand + Conversion
Chatbase/Tidio	Lead capture & chatbot builder	Boosts sales funnel

All of this is broken down with actual case studies in the book.

 Here’s a $250 Monthly Setup that Could Make $10K+/Month

Many think passive income requires huge investment. But in our guide, you’ll find this scalable starter stack:

• ChatGPT Plus – $20/month
• Pictory AI – $19–$39/month
• Canva Pro – $12.99/month
• Beehiiv Pro – $42/month
• Zapier + Chatbase – $30–$50/month
• Gumroad – Free to start (10% fee/sale)
• Upwork Help – As needed (~$50/month)

That’s under $250/month—and the return can be exponential. 

Real Case Study: Meet Aanya, a 36-Year-Old Who Built a $7K/Mo Passive Stack

Aanya, a single mother from Pune, started selling Notion productivity templates and a beginner’s AI course on Gumroad. She used:

• ChatGPT for course content
• Canva for thumbnails
• Beehiiv to build a loyal reader base
• Gumroad to host & sell

Within 4 months, she crossed $7,000/month—all while still freelancing 15 hours/week.

Her exact setup? Covered inside the book. 

What’s Inside the Book (That You Won’t Find Anywhere Online)

You can Google “passive income” all day. But that gives you theory and fluff.

This book gives you:

• Proven Systems (step-by-step blueprints)
• Tool Breakdowns with ROI metrics
• Case Studies across niches
• Automation Frameworks you can steal
• $1K to $10K/month paths, tested by real creators
• Zero-fluff execution plans

No recycled Reddit tips. No outdated advice. Just real income from real tools. 

Who This Book Is For

• Freelancers looking to scale beyond hourly pay
• Creators tired of chasing social media virality
• Students or 9–5ers wanting weekend freedom
• Retirees or parents looking for online stability
• Anyone serious about earning real money online without BS

Ready to Build a Passive Machine?

This is your window. Tools are cheap. AI is powerful. Audiences are fragmented but hungry.

If you wait, you’ll still be trading time for money.

But if you act, you could build a system that:

• Works while you sleep
• Pays you every month
• Scales without burnout

Grab the Guide. Change Your Life.

If you're done with YouTube rabbit holes and "just post more content" advice…

If you're ready to turn your skills, creativity, or hustle into long-term income…

This book is your blueprint.

📘 Buy This eBook Now

Title: How to Build a Passive Income Powerhouse in 2025
Author: KV Shan
Format: Direct PDF Edition
Price: ₹299 / $5.99 / £7.57

Buy via PayPal – $5.99

Pay via UPI – ₹299

After payment, email your screenshot to kvshan23@gmail.com

Your eBook will be sent to your email within 1 hour.

It’s time to stop reading and start earning. Let this book show you how.

 

"How to Build a Passive Income Powerhouse in 2025"

A Complete Guide to Earning $1K–$10K/Month on a Smart Budget — Featuring 30-Day Action Plan, ROI Tools & the Best AI-Powered Income Streams

Paperback version is also available 

What You’ll Learn Inside This Priceless Guide:

• The Top 5 Passive Income Models That Actually Work in 2025
  (No crypto hype, no overnight nonsense — just scalable systems.)

• Real Tools Used by 6–Figure Side Hustlers
  Platforms like Gumroad, ChatGPT, Canva, Beehiiv, and more — plus how to stack them for maximum profit.

• The $250 Tech Stack That Could Earn You $10K+/Month
  We break down every tool, what it does, how much it costs, and why it’s worth it.

• 3 Quick Start Systems You Can Launch This Week
  (Includes AI-generated YouTube content, a faceless affiliate blog, and a digital product shop.)

• Real Case Study: How Aanya, a Freelancer from Pune, Hit $7K/Month with One Ebook & a Newsletter

 

Who This is For:

• Creators who want to earn beyond views and likes
• Freelancers tired of trading time for money
• 9–5ers looking to escape paycheck pressure
• Anyone ready to build real income, not just hope 

If you want deeper guidance, systems, and copy-paste execution plans, the full book reveals:

• 10+ Profitable Passive Income Paths
• Platform-specific guides (Gumroad, Beehiiv, Pictory, Zapier)
• Full tool ROI breakdowns
• Monetization strategies with and without an audience
• Free vs paid plan hacks
• Real creator blueprints from $1K to $10K/month 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

📘 Get Your Copy – eBook & Paperback

Amazon.com (US)

Buy eBook Buy Paperback

Amazon.co.uk (UK)

Buy eBook Buy Paperback

Amazon.in (India)

Buy eBook Buy Paperback

Get Your  Guide  today!! 

Pro Tip:

Most people are still trading time for dollars. With this guide, you’ll learn how to trade systems for freedom.

          Build once. Earn forever.

 

The Digital Monster: How Today’s Youth Are Dying Inch by Inch Without Even Noticing

The Digital Monster: How Today’s Youth Are Dying Inch by Inch Without Even Noticing, Draining Confidence, Trapped in Digital World...

A Silent Killer in Every Pocket

There’s a monster living in the hands, pockets, and minds of millions of young people. It doesn’t growl. It doesn’t bite. It scrolls, it pings, it numbs.

It’s not some imaginary villain — it’s the digital world, specifically the toxic content ecosystems of social media, gaming, and endless entertainment. While screens have their value, the overconsumption of digital content is quietly killing the youth — not physically, but emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.

Today’s youth are more anxious, less confident, and more disconnected from reality than any generation before. They’re stuck in a loop of digital pleasure and real-life fear. And worse — many of them don’t even realize it.

This article is a raw, honest look at how the digital monster is eating away at our children and what must be done — urgently — to stop it.

Part 1: The Digital Trap — It’s Not Just Entertainment Anymore

1. The Illusion of Control

Youth today believe they are in control. They pick the videos, play the games, choose what to scroll. But what they don’t realize is that their choices are being engineered — by algorithms designed to addict, distract, and fragment.

• YouTube Shorts serve you just enough dopamine to keep you watching.

• Instagram filters distort your self-worth.

• Mobile games offer fake wins to replace real-world growth.

In reality, they’re not holding the phone. The phone is holding them.

Studies show that even short bursts of social media can hijack the brain's reward system. Teens begin to prioritize these artificial highs over genuine connections and experiences. It becomes a cycle: scroll, smile, slump.

2. False Validation, Real Damage

Every like. Every view. Every comment.

They feel good for a moment. But they also create a deep dependency on external validation. When the likes slow down, the self-worth collapses.

• Teens start defining their value by online attention.

• Confidence becomes conditional.

• Real-life achievements feel boring compared to viral attention.

A 2024 study by Common Sense Media found that 75% of teens check their social media within 10 minutes of waking up — seeking validation before even brushing their teeth.

This is how brave kids turn into approval addicts — afraid to speak up, try new things, or even face their reflection without a filter.

3. The New Reality Escape Drug

Not every young person turns to alcohol or weed. Today, many escape reality through digital numbing.

• Hours of gaming to avoid facing failure.

• Endless scrolling to block out loneliness.

• Fake influencers replacing real role models.

The result is emotional suppression. These youth are not lazy — they’re overwhelmed, overstimulated, and under-equipped to deal with real life.

And yes, for some, when the digital high fades, they turn to the real thing — drugs, vapes, or pills — just to feel something.

This isn’t laziness. It’s escape. It’s survival. But it’s also slow suicide.

Part 2: How the Digital Monster Destroys — Inch by Inch

1. It Kills Curiosity

Remember when children used to ask why the sky is blue? Now they ask why their photo didn’t get more likes.

Screens replace imagination with information overload.

• No patience to read long books

• No desire to explore offline hobbies

• No hunger to create — just consume

The brain becomes a lazy sponge, not a curious engine.

Teachers report declining reading comprehension skills across high schools globally. Long-form content now bores students conditioned to 15-second dopamine hits.

2. It Breeds Fear, Not Courage

Social media creates a culture of perfection. If you’re not perfect, you're ignored. If you fail publicly, you’re humiliated.

Result?

• Youth avoid risks

• They don’t try new skills

• They stay in their comfort zone and let fear dominate their lives

Mental health professionals note a sharp rise in performance anxiety and fear of public speaking — not due to lack of talent, but fear of digital judgment.

Instead of brave young warriors, we’re raising scared digital slaves — terrified of opinions, allergic to failure.

3. It Weakens Mental Muscle

Mental strength — like physical strength — comes from challenge.

But digital addiction removes discomfort:

• No boredom (endless scrolling)

• No waiting (instant gratification)

• No silence (constant noise)

So the brain never rests. It never grows.

That’s why youth today:

• Get irritated easily

• Struggle with focus

• Need stimulation 24/7

And without inner strength, life crushes them easily.

4. It Eats Time, Soul, and Dreams

On average, a teen loses 5–7 hours a day to screens — time that could build a career, learn skills, write a book, or change the world.

Instead:

• Dreams fade

• Purpose dies

• Life feels empty

Digital addiction doesn’t scream. It seduces. And every hour it steals is a brick removed from a future that could’ve been.

Part 3: Where Parents Go Wrong — And How to Do Better

Most parents see the symptoms (poor focus, laziness, rebellion) but misunderstand the root cause.

Here’s what many parents do — and why it backfires:

❌ They Scold Instead of Understanding

“You’re always on your phone!”
“Why are you wasting your life?”

But yelling at a drowning child doesn’t teach them to swim.

✔️ What to Do Instead:

Ask why they’re addicted. Is it loneliness? Pressure? Anxiety?

Then replace blame with support. Start with: “What are you escaping from?”

Start the healing with connection, not correction.

❌ They Use Technology as a Babysitter

Giving a child a phone to keep him/her busy may seem harmless — until years later, that child can’t hold a real conversation or fight real battles.

✔️ What to Do Instead:

Involve them in home tasks, art, gardening, or projects. Let them struggle, learn, grow — and be bored. Boredom births brilliance.

Create structured offline experiences. Family chores. Outdoor Sundays. Analog weekends.

❌ They Don't Practice What They Preach

You can’t lecture your child on screen addiction while glued to your own phone.

✔️ What to Do Instead:

Lead by example. Set family screen rules. Create tech-free dinners. Show them life beyond screens.

Tech-conscious parenting is not a speech. It’s a lifestyle.

✅ They Can Still Turn It Around — Here’s How

• Set consistent tech boundaries.

• Replace screen time with family rituals.

• Create meaningful consequences and rewards.

• Celebrate real-world achievements.

Parenting in the digital age is about becoming the anchor when the world is a storm. It’s not easy. But it’s necessary.

Part 4: A Realistic Digital Detox Plan — That Actually Works (With Meditation at the Core)

You don’t need to smash your smartphone or disappear into the woods. What you need is clarity, control, and calm — and that starts with a daily pause. Meditation isn't a luxury anymore; it's your shield against digital chaos.

Here’s a simple 7-day detox that balances your mind, not punishes your lifestyle.

1. The 7-Day Digital Reset (Powered by Meditation)

Each day includes a meditation moment to train your brain to unplug and refocus.

Day 1–2: Awareness with Breath

Track screen time honestly. Don’t judge — just observe. Begin each day with 5 minutes of mindful breathing, sitting quietly and observing your thoughts.

Day 3–4: Interrupt the Habit with Stillness

Use apps like Forest or Freedom to block time-wasting apps. Choose one no-phone activity (like a meal or walk). In the evening, try a body scan meditation — feeling each part of the body to reconnect with your physical self.

Day 5: Replace & Recharge

Replace 1 hour of screen time with journaling, painting, walking, or yoga. Add a guided meditation from apps like Insight Timer or Smiling Mind that focuses on digital detox or attention training.

Day 6: Reflect Mindfully

Sit as a family. Reflect aloud — How did your body and brain feel this week? Follow it with a short loving-kindness meditation, sending positive thoughts to one another.

Day 7: Reset With Intention

Set new digital rules together. Try “No Screens Before 9 AM,” or “Silent Mode After 8 PM.” Seal it with a gratitude meditation, giving thanks for real connection.

2. Build a “Digital Diet” That Includes Inner Peace

Just as you avoid junk food, filter your digital intake:

• Follow peaceful, educational, or inspiring channels

• Unfollow toxic comparison traps

• Replace doom scrolling with a daily 10-minute meditation ritual — morning or night

• This digital nutrition keeps the mind strong, not overstimulated.

3. Make Offline Cool Again — Mindfully

Host screen-free meditation circles or yoga sessions at home

Go on mindful walks in nature
Start a “30-day no scrolling after sunset” challenge — with family rewards

The point isn’t rejection of tech — it’s reconnection with life. And meditation is the bridge.

The Monster Can Be Tamed

This isn’t just about kids. This is about a generation on the brink — pulled away from truth, courage, and clarity by a seductive digital fog.

The digital monster is real. But it doesn’t have to win.

If we awaken — as individuals, as families, and as a society — we can take back the joy, the purpose, the fire that screens have stolen.

Because behind every child numbed by a screen is a mind waiting to awaken, a heart waiting to love, and a life waiting to be lived.

Start the fight today. The future is still worth saving.

🧭 Subscribe to WordBuz25 for weekly insights

📥 Get our FREE guide: 7 Ways to Beat Digital Overload and Reclaim Your Focus

THE COCOON: A Father’s First Moments with His Preterm Baby in the NICU

 The Cocoon

The baby was literally a 'bundle' of joy. A nurse handed over the baby, in a white soft extra long towel that was wrapped three times around it, to my mother.

I have never seen a real newborn this close to my eyes, though I had seen many photos,ads and movies of babies. But this time it was unimaginable!! This is my own baby.

(I had reached too late to see my son when he was born) 

We did not put a baby inside to grow you know. For the past seven months she was inside her mother growing from a microscopic organism to this tangible being. I thanked the bioengineer and his technology.

But I didn't know that there was a bomb ready to go off in a minute or two.

The doctor sent for me to his cabin. All my relatives who got to see the baby turn by turn, also accompanied and guided me to the cabin and waited outside impatiently.

The doctor asked me to sit in front of him. He said,

" You know the baby was taken out early and she didn't come out on her own".

"A premature baby?"

"Yes a 'preterm' baby coz she didn't complete the minimum 37 weeks of gestation"

Things were getting unpleasant and the joy and surprise were short lived 

But his words the previous day echoed in my mind. 

"We can't keep the baby inside as the mother is being given medicine for BP. Since the medicine is used for thinning her blood  the baby won't get sufficient nutrition and immune power and....but those can be supplemented externally once we taken the baby out"

"Are you listening?" His voice shook me back to real time.

I nodded reluctantly and anxiously waited for his next words.

"Now the baby is out and in the next 30 minutes she is sure to develop some complications"

My heart raced against time. I asked "What type?

"Breathing trouble and might have difficulty suckling her mother's milk ..normal for such babies"

'So?"

"You have to shift her immediately to a speciality hospital as we don't have such facility here for the newborn"

"Oh my! What about her mother?"

"She would be here with us. She's not in a condition to take discharge. It's hardly a few minutes after her caesarian"

"So what are my choices...of hospitals?"

He named three hospitals which were 100, 40 and 5 km away. I considered the odds. It's the rainy season and the roads were filled with potholes that were filled with knee deep water. So  I chose the closest hospital which was generally infamous except for the paediatric department which boasted of a UK returned doctor to my fortune.

There were two reasons I chose this hospital. One was for the Dr and the department and the other was for the time this doctor had given. 

We arranged a taxi soon after the decision was taken and together with some elders proceeded to the hospital.

She was held in my mother's lap with both her hands.On the way she let out some mild cute cries. Her eyes were tightly closed when she cried. 

I wondered when she would open her eyes and see everyone. May be after a week or so. 

I recollected my old school days when everyday after reaching home from school how I ran to the attic to find out whether the four newly born kittens opened their eyes. It takes two weeks for kittens. May be human babies take one week?

As soon as we reached there at the hospital the baby was taken to Neo Natal ICU.

Then began the hours of waiting. Every time a nurse comes out I got up expecting a call for me. But it never happened.

Then a doctor came and called out the relatives of twin babies admitted in the NICU. 

"One of the twins had only one lung. It's not going to make it. But the other one..It's weak but we are trying..Let's see"

I had never known a doctor saying this way upfront on face of the relatives of a patient. Not even in Bollywood movies.

Then finally the call came. "Baby of .."

I jumped to my feet, "It's me"

"Ok come in removing your footwear, inside there will be hanging green coat, gloves and head cover, wear them before entering the second door"

At this, a question which has been taunting me for long dawned upon me and I dared to ask my mom sitting beside me

" Mom tell me how am I going to recognise my daughter from a lot of babies, coz we hadn't seen her enough. We saw only a tiny part of her yet small face that too for a very short span of time"

She started laughing. She laughs for every silly things. But this wasn't silly was it? Ever thought of this? A lot of movies were made on this subject of exchange of babies. Anything can happen at a hosptal right? I felt my doubt was genuine.

But she didn't stop smiling. I knew somewhere in her mind I successfully sowed a seed.

Nurse shouted "Don't you want to see your baby?"

I removed my sandals and entered through the first door. I saw the green loose coat, cap, mask and gloves on a table in a dimly lit hall.

Checking whether all ok I pushed open the spring loaded double door at the end of the hall.

Ohh my god!!! I entered a new world of blue light. I looked around and was awestruck. Before my mouth closed the doors behind me closed softly.

Ii seemed that I was teleported to a futuristic lab where machines cloned human babies..straight from the page of a Hollywood sci fi movie.

There were 5 rows of babies in glass cages with blue or yellow light next to each. I was standing in between the first and second rows.

I stood awestruck thinking which row I have to look for. I heard a sweet voice from the end of the third row. "Come this way... here.."

I inched towards the nurse. 

My God how am going to identify my daughter if the nurse asked which baby is yours! I marched past each baby on either side reading the name of their moms, sex, their weight and days of birth.

There were babies as small as 60 days and as low weight as 600 g. Some had dark black thick hair and many had none.

I noticed each one had a lot of pipes going to and coming out of it. Finally I reached to the nurse and she said "This is your baby"

She pointed to a glass cage near me. There was yellow light shining on her body.

I watched my daughter rather closely. She was sleeping calmly. Her tiny chest was going up and down with the rhythm of her breath.

Her soft body too had pipes coming and going out of her body.

I stood there and thought had she stayed a little longer inside her mother she would have been saved of all the pain she had gone through soon after the birth.

I asked the nurse finally the question that has been pestering me. "How are you sure that this is my baby? You haven't seen me or her mother"

She giggled first and said in an assuring voice "Don't worry sir, it won't happen as you thought. The baby comes here with all the documents and as soon as it's brought in we tie a tag on the baby with all the details"

"Mm that sounds better" though I was not convinced.

But why she is not opening her eyes? It will take two weeks for her to open eyes?

She giggled again. "Sir she's not a kitten. She can open her eyes on the very day she was born but will take time to focus. But now she's sleeping"

I saw there was another nurse also with her. I checked what they were doing. They were struggling to insert canulas on one of the legs of a small baby next to mine and was finding it difficult.

I asked "How do you so mercilessly pierce the body of a soft cottony pack of cuteness? You don't twitch even once?"

She said "That's why we never keep relatives of babies when we prepare for administering IVs. We want to save the babies sir. For themselves and for their parents"

When the great engineer in the sky makes a flaw, a few on Earth rise and bend time to set it right.

                                                                          ...... ...... .....

"Dad what are you doing?"

"Just.. writing about something that had happened to me some 11 years ago"

"What's it?"

"You"

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