“Daniel” was a special boy. He had been born with a rare genetic anomaly that caused his body to be overtaken by cholesterol. He was only four years old, but his health was rapidly declining. When a desperate call came in requesting a visit to provide gentle touch for Daniel, Shay Beider, the founder and Executive Director of Integrative Touch for Kids, responded. She was able to provide Daniel with a gentle form of massage therapy to ease some of his pain and discomfort. Shay visited him at home and in the hospital and when his mom introduced Shay to his nurse after their first visit, she said Shay was a “spiritual healer.” When things worsened for Daniel and he had to be hospitalized, his mom knew where to turn. She called Integrative Touch for Kids. “It’s a wonderful gift to be able to provide gentle touch to children who are very ill or at end of life,” says Shay Beider, “It is one piece of the healing work that we do through Integrative Touch for Kids and something that will always be very near and dear to my own heart.”
