Dedications

This Dedication Page is in honor of those children who have survived abuse and are living a life filled with many physical and mental challenges. They are children who are shunned by many, forgotten about, but are courageous and loving children filled with life and beauty.

Joshua, age 3. At age 3 months, Joshua was shaken 10 - 15 times by his father. He has suffered severe permanent brain injury; everything except his brain stem was permanently damaged. He had two front sub-dural hematomias and an old bleeding in his cerebellum. He also suffered a skull fracture, and severe bilateral retinal hemorrhaging. The retinal hemorrhaging was so severe that Josh is now only able to see shadows. A feeding tube had to be surgically placed into his belly, due to the injury leaving him unable to coordinate swallowing with breathing. Joshua also ended up having two Craniotomies, and needed a Ventricular shunt placed into his head. The shunt is a tube with a one way valve that drains all reoccurring extra fluid from his head into his bladder so he can urinate it out. This way he doesn’t need to have doctors continuously going into his head, and giving him opportunities to get infections. Joshua’s overall prognosis is grim, doctors predict that he will keep getting ill due to his weak immune system, and will never live beyond his twentieth birthday. He was recently evaluated to be at a three-four month developmental level. He cannot hold up his own head, sit, roll over, stand, walk, or see anything more than shadows. Doctors suspect that Joshua will be frozen at this level and may not develop any further. Even though Joshua didn’t die, he was still robbed of his life.

Julian, age 4. Julian was born on November 19th, 2003. Two days before Christmas on December 23, 2004 at age 1 year, he was severely abused. He had bite marks and bruises on his neck and back. He was strangled, shaken and beaten on the head. He also had been scalped on the back of his head about the size of a 50 cent piece. He still has the indentation of what looks like an octagon screw head. He had a large subdural hematoma axil rotation and brain midline shift of 6cm. He had a 5% chance to live and then be severly disabled. The doctors said it was the equivalent of dropping him off a 2 story building and landing on concrete on his head.  He had a crainotomy, and they removed some bone fragment from his brain.  When it was time to put his bone back in, he rejected it. Julian was in the hospital for 2 months went into cardiac arrest, died twice and was brought back. He was in a coma for a week. Things did not look good for him, but he came out of it. He still has nightmares from time to time and has severe separation anxiety from his Grandma, who is his guardian. He has minor behavior issues and sometimes he has violent outbursts. He also has some minor hearing damage and seizures.

Christopher, age 2. Born August 24, 2006. At 7 weeks old, Christopher was violently shaken by his biological father. Christopher was in the hospital for nearly two weeks (and PICU for 8 days) with bleeding on his brain that caused him to have seizures and several strokes. He also suffered from retinal hemorrhaging and had six broken ribs. He nearly died and it is a miracle that he is doing as well as he is today. Since he was shaken, Christopher has come a long way, but only time will tell the extent of the damage. He has permanent brain damage in two different places from the subdural hematomas and strokes.

Blake, age 5. At 2 months old, Blake was taken to the hospital and a CT Scan was done.

The scan revealed that Blake had Subdural Hematomas and Retinal Hemorrhaging. Basically, he was bleeding (and had a pocket of blood) at the front and back of his brain and was also bleeding behind his eyes. Blake had Shaken Baby Syndrome caused by his biological father. Blake's first surgery went well. He came out with 2 tubes in the left side of his head. The doctors said that he may not live through it. After about 3 weeks in the PICU, Blake was moved out onto the floor, but after his head started swelling because of the fluid building up, they put him back into the PICU and then back in the OR for another set of burr holes, this time in the right side of his head. He spent the next couple weeks recovering and was eventually sent back out onto the floor. Blake was about 13 weeks old when he was finally released.

September, age 9. At 4 weeks old, September was abused by her father. She suffers from Shaken Baby Syndrome, Developmental, Neurological, and other disorders. She cannot walk, talk, see, nor can she eat or drink like a normal 9 year old. She can move her arms but cannot reach for a object. She can make sounds but cannot make a word or sentence. Her Father said he shook her because she was crying and wouldn't stop. September is a real Surviver. She requires nonstop care. She takes around 20 medications a day for Respiratory Ailments , Seizures, Gastrointestinal problems, plus many other Ailments caused by the Damage. Born in good health, she has suffered countless medical ailments after being violently shaken. She is a quadriplegic and in the care of her grandmother. At the time, the doctors didn't think she would live. Despite the challenges of raising a special needs child, particularly one with so many doctors, prescriptions and medical conditions, September has been a positive, life-changing gift to all of her family. September has grown to a little more than 70 pounds.

Evelynn, age 1 year. At 10 weeks of age, Evelynn was put into the Pediatric ICU by the hands of her father. After elbowing her off of the bed, Joshua Cohen proceeded to kick Evelynn in the head 5 times. He then shook her violently for 30 seconds. For 12 days Evelynn struggled for her life. She will face many obstacles in the years to come as she faces the challenges of neurological damage and nerve damage in her eyes. She has many seizures DAILY. At 16 months old now, she has the mentality of a 2-3 month old. She cannot sit up unsupported, crawl, or stand, she can't even hold her sippy cup. Evelynn has microcephalus, low muscle tone and limited use of her left side. Due to her hydrocephalus, at 5 months old she needed two surgeries. The second surgery was to put two VP shunts in her head so that the fluid may continuously drain into her belly where it is absorbed. Without the shunts, her brain would further shrink from the cerebral fluid and eventually cause death. Evelynn is also legally blind. The whole pathway from her eyes to her brain is damaged - there is no substitute. Even still, Evelynn is one of the lucky few to survive this terrible EPIDEMIC known as Shaken Baby Syndrome.

Alex, age 3. On September 26, 2006 was shaken by his mother's boyfriend. Alex was in full respiratory arrest and had to have a double craniectomy. Doctors do not know if Alex will be able to see, sit up, stand or smile again. Everyone calls Alex 'Braveheart'.

Lorelei, age 5. Lorelei was born in January, 2003 and a 7lbs 9 oz healthy and full of life baby. At one month of age on February 13th she was diagnosed with shaken baby syndrome, shaken by her biological father. She spent six weeks in the hospital, on countless machines and medicines. The first day, the doctors said she would not live. The next week, the doctors said she would never be able to be at home and would need to live in an institution. Lorelei is now five years old and living at home. Her diagnosis is extensive. She has Cerebral Palsy, a seizure disorder, a feeding tube, loss of vision, poor circulation, lack of nerve system control, (which causes her to have a hard time passing a bowel movement). She also has dislocated hips, tubes in her ears, and a lot of respiratory issues. She has had 5 surgeries so far.

Aaron, age 6. Aaron was born in February, 2002. At 3 months old on May 23rd, 2002 his biological father shook him. Aaron spent a week in the Pediatrician Intensive Care Unit. During that time the doctors said he would die. He is now 6 years old. He has the mind of a 3 year old. He has seizures and participates in countless therapies.

Avaiah, age 4. Avaiah was taken to the hospital at only 6 weeks of age from Shaken Baby Syndrome by her mother's fiance. She was at the Childrens Hospital in the ICU for a week before they moved her to Babyland for an additional 3 weeks. Because 75% of her cerebral matter were dead cells, the doctors said she was going to be in a vegetative state for the rest of her life. Avaiah began physical and occupational therapy when she was 5 months old and has continued receiving them since. She is progressing, but at a very slow rate. At the age of 4 years old she does not sit, talk, walk, does not feed herself and has poor head control.

Mathew, age 3.  Mathew became a victim of Shaken Baby Syndrome October 13, 2005 at the hands of his Mom's boyfriend. At six months old, he had a fractured skull, fractured tibia, broken femur, retinal hemorrhaging, seizures & multiple bruises. Prior brain damage was found indicating that he had been shaken on more than one occasion. Some doctors felt that he may have been shaken upside down by his ankles. Due to all of this, all he could do upon being released was lay down. He had to relearn everything he had known in his six months from sitting to holding a bottle to holding up his own head. He went through many doctors visits, physical, speech, and occupational therapy. Currently Mathew still continues his physical therapy once weekly, uses a walker & wears leg braces to strengthen his legs so he can stand and walk on his own. He has cerebal palsy, was recently diagnosed with severe sensory delays.

Breanna, age 3.  Breanna is a victim of Shaken Baby Syndrome and a hard blow to her head by her biological father on March 22, 2006.  The doctors said she would be a vegetable and for 3 days they asked her Mom to take her off life support. Her Mom would not and she remained in the St. Louis Children's hospital for two months. The doctors said that her injuries were more severe than being in a car accident and the worst case they have ever seen. She was 16 months old when she suffered her injuries and spent almost an entire year of 2006 in the hospital and rehabilitation then another five months in the Raken Jordan rehabilitation center.  Breanna has suffered a lot of injuries causing her to loose the left side of her brain. She has had a shunt, a bone flap removal and several more surgeries.  She got her trach out in July 2007 and has made it through many surgeries and has several more to go.

If you would like to submit a child for this page, please e-mail us.