Family develops ‘hug glove’ to safely embrace each other during the pandemic

The family lives in Guelph, Ontario and has developed what they call a “hug glove” by adding sleeves to a thick plastic sheet hanging from their clothesline.

Carolyn Ellis made the “hug glove” with her husband so the family could hug her mother while avoiding direct contact with her.

A video of the family using the device was posted to Facebook showing the family taking turns embracing Ellis’ mom. Ellis noted that it’s been almost two months since the last time they hugged.

"I was worried that it would be all weird because it's a really thick plastic, but it actually wasn’t. It felt like a genuine hug if you were wearing a jacket. It didn't feel like there was anything in the way," Ellis said.

The device is made of Vapour Barrier plastic and kept together using Tuck Tape. Ellis said it "worked really well" even though the materials are generally used for home renovations.

Ellis said she got the idea a few weeks ago when she noticed that her mother must be very lonely during the pandemic.

"My mom actually lives alone and it occurred to me that she hadn't had a hug in a long time and that she wouldn't get a hug in a while until this is all over," Ellis said.

She added that her mom spent a lot of time at the house before the health crisis, but that changed for physical distancing reasons. She said her young sons didn’t understand why they couldn't hug their grandma.

"They just weren't getting it, especially the youngest. [My mom] said that they would look at her like they’re thinking that grandma doesn't love them. She was so upset by that," Ellis said.

She said the “hug glove” was a surprise for Mother's Day.

"It really meant a lot to her. She was crying, but laughing because she thought it was hilarious the whole contraption," Ellis said. "We just couldn't stop hugging it just felt so good."

Ellis added that the family are "big time huggers" so it has been hard during the pandemic.

"I didn't want to stop it just felt so good to hug her again," Ellis said. "This time has been so challenging for so many reasons, but this just felt like we were back to normal again."