Child abuse is barbaric. And sadly it isn’t that uncommon. It’s a blight that affects children of all ages, but the most defenseless are infants who fall victim to Shaken Baby Syndrome.
On August 17, 2012, the life of eight-month old Cheyenne was changed forever. The daughter of separated couple, James Davis, Jr. and Amy Owensby, was dropped off at Davis’ home. The little girl was crying. Like babies do. But she wouldn’t stop. And Davis snapped: he shook his infant daughter hard enough to fracture her skull, which resulted in a swelling to the brain.
He called Owensby to tell her Cheyenne wasn’t breathing, and after an emergency call was made, the infant was airlifted to a nearby hospital. Over the succeeding three years, Cheyenne was forced to undergo a number of different surgeries and physical therapy as a result.
Miraculously, she appears to be on the road to recovery, though she still sports a large scar on her head from the surgeries. This sort of happy ending is rarely the case in these situation. Approximately 25 percent of all deaths from child abuse related to Shaken Baby Syndrome. Even for those who survive, can suffer from severe handicaps for of their life – like cerebral palsy, blindness, paralysis, seizures and leaning disabilities.
Patience is a virtue parents need to have. Step out of the house for a second, or call a friend to hold the fort and give you a break. Pop on some headphones. Literally do anything but shake a crying baby. Or any baby for that matter. It’s no joke, this is a very sad problem.