Featured Child of the Month

Hello, my name is Seth.  On July 13, 1999, I was born a healthy seven and a half pound bundle of energy, and very handsome, I might add.

From the very beginning I was in trouble.  I don't know why but my parents didn't take very good care of me.  They hurt me.  On September 29, 1999, when I was only 10 weeks old, I was taken to the hospital because I wouldn't eat and I wouldn't stop crying. My pediatrician said that I had four fractured ribs and needed to spend the night in the hospital. I thought, maybe someone will help me, maybe, someone will stop all my pain.  Nobody helped me.  They gave me back to my parents and I went home.  I hurt so much.

On October 5, 1999, my dad began to shake me very, very hard.  He grabbed my leg and it broke, he squeezed my ribs and six more broke, he threw me on the floor and my head broke.  I couldn't breathe.  I couldn't cry and I hurt so very much.  Later on, my mom came home from work and called an ambulance.  The very nice rescue people took me to the hospital.  I was very sick.  The doctor said that my brain was bleeding and swelling, and that I might die so they took me to a special hospital.  My head hurt so much and I kept shaking and the doctor said I was having seizures because there was so much blood pressing on my brain.  He said that I had been abused, that I had Shaken Baby Syndrome and that if I lived, I would not be perfect anymore.  I had brain damage.  At the age of 10 weeks old, I had suffered multiple Subdural Hematomas, 10 rib fractures, a fractured leg, and two skull fractures.

The next day, a new mommy came to take care of me, she stayed at the hospital.  She didn't hurt me, she cried everytime I cried and she promised to take care of me.  After weeks in the hospital, I went home with my new mommy and daddy.

It was hard for me to do things for myself because my right side was paralyzed and I had lots of seizures.  I couldn't swallow solid food but mommy made special bottles for me that helped me gain weight and get healthy.  In fact, I got down right fat.  Mommy and daddy worked hard to teach me to roll over, to sit up, and to crawl.  It took a long time but we had lots of fun.  Lots of doctors, therapist and teachers helped me, too.

When I was two, I could finally swallow food and boy did I go nuts.  I ate everything but spaghetti was my favorite. I wanted it all the time but mommy said that I had to try other foods and I did and loved it all, even broccoli.

I am now 8 years old, and I am in the second grade.  School is very hard for me.  I don't learn like other kids and I get frustrated sometimes but my teacher helps me so much.  I love my teacher.  I still have seizures, but I have a device implanted in my chest to control them and it works great but it does make my voice sound funny sometimes.  Because I was shaken so hard, I have a lot of problems that they call disabilities.  I have Cerebral Palsy, brain damage, seizures, behavioral problems, speech and language delays, learning disabilities, and autism.