There are moments in life when we hardly can find the right words to convey how we feel, while a hug is the fastest way to direct heart-to-heart connection.

In West Warwick, Rhode Island, 2-year-old Cohen decided to chase after a pizza delivery man, Ryan Catterson, and give him a hug, without knowing how significant this little gesture of kindness would be.

More info: Lindsey Sheely

Lindsey Sheely shared a video with her 2-year-old son hugging a pizza delivery man, Ryan Catterson, who recently lost his 16-year-old daughter

Image credits: Lindsey Sheely

Lindsey Sheely had ordered a pizza for her family that night and accidentally captured how her 2-year-old son, Cohen, ran after the delivery man to give him a hug. The touching moment was recorded by the family’s doorbell camera and later on shared on the woman’s Facebook account, where it immediately went viral worldwide.

“Last night when we got our pizza (and ranch) delivered, Cohen ran out to hug the delivery guy and tried to give him a kiss, too! We thought it was so sweet and funny, then realized that our doorbell might have caught the interaction on camera, and it did!! I hope it gives you a laugh and warms your heart like it did for us,” Lindsey wrote the message at the time.

The woman didn’t know at first that Ryan Catterson had recently lost his 16-year-old daughter. She only discovered this heartbreaking news after sharing the footage on her Instagram stories.

“Update: little did we know what Cohen’s hug to this stranger would mean. Someone showed Ryan the video I posted to my IG, so he messaged me, and I found him on FB so he could share the video. Through this, we found out that Ryan unexpectedly lost his daughter recently, and that hug from Cohen was a little blessing from God. I believe in divine appointments and know that Ryan was the one to deliver our pizza for a reason,” the woman added to her message next to the video earlier published on Facebook.

Ryan’s daughter lived in California with his ex-wife. The girl had been struggling with her mental health and passed away unexpectedly, leaving an unbearably huge pain for all those who loved her.

“After losing my daughter this past week, it touched me because it was like she was there,” said Ryan. “It really just meant a lot to me. It’s going to be tough not going to be able to hug her again. I had been telling my kids and the whole family how much I needed hugs before they came and then that sweet little boy gave me one.”

Ryan’s ex-wife, Danielle McCord, was deeply touched by the kid’s hug as well and said that it could be a good lesson in empathy: “It’s so easy to miss people and their internal pain. Even with our daughter, we didn’t know her pain. I can’t help but be grateful that someone saw Ryan’s pain and could be there for him.”

A simple gesture of kindness from a little kid meant so much to Ryan since he won’t be able to hug his daughter ever again

Image credits: Ryan Catterson

Image credits: Ryan Catterson

According to the newest National Institutes of Health (NIH) data report, mental illness is common in the United States and approximately 57.8 million adults live with some form of it. The most prevalent are various anxiety disorders (19.1%), which can include panic disorders, social anxiety disorders, phobias and more.

Statistics shows that about 50% of those affected started to feel mental illnesses’ symptoms such as deep mood swings or apathy very early, by the age of 14, and 75% by the age of 24.

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) states that major mental illnesses rarely appear ‘out of the blue,’ therefore it’s very important to learn about developing symptoms, or early warning signs, and taking action.

If several of the following symptoms occur, APA suggests seeking help from a mental health professional.

• Sleep or appetite changes  – dramatic changes of sleep and appetite or decline in personal care.
• Mood changes and apathy – unusual shifts in emotions, deep depressed feelings, greater irritability, not having an initiative to participate in any kind of activity.
• Drop in functioning – unusually skipping school, work or social activities, for example, quitting sports or failing in school.
• Problems thinking – memory or logical thought and speech that are hard to explain to others.
• Increased sensitivity – to sights, sounds, smells or touch.
• Feeling disconnected – a constant feeling of being disconnected from oneself or one’s surroundings; a sense of unreality.
• Changes in school or work – constant difficulties in relationships with classmates or co-workers.

It’s important to mention that one or two of these symptoms can’t predict a mental illness, but may already indicate a need for further development. Yet if a person is experiencing several of them at the same time, then they should be seen by a physician or mental health professional, while people with thoughts of harming themselves or others should seek immediate attention.

“Just as with other medical illnesses, early intervention can make a crucial difference in preventing what could become a serious illness,” APA said in their article about warning signs of mental illness.

Image source: University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences

Image source: University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences

Image credits: CBS 17

According to research, hugging is crucial to human beings, especially when it comes to our mental health. Even the shortest hug can immediately help us feel better by reducing feelings of loneliness and the harmful physical effects of stress.

The therapist Virginia Satir is known worldwide for her famous saying that “We need 4 hugs a day for survival. We need 8 hugs a day for maintenance. We need 12 hugs a day for growth.”

2-year-old Cohen gave Ryan just one, yet it was warm and sunny enough to soothe and brighten up the darkest parts of his heavy heart that suffered from the deepest pain of loss.

People on the internet shared heartwarming messages about Ryan’s loss and 2-year-old Cohen’s significant gesture of kindness

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