National Campaign Launches to Spread Awareness about Normal Infant Crying and the Dangers of Shaking an Infant | Shaken Baby Syndrome

 Knitters and crocheters across North America are reportedly being asked to make purple colored baby caps to help educate parents and caregivers

Frustration with a crying infant is reportedly the number one trigger for the shaking and abuse of infants. In an effort to help spread awareness about normal infant crying and the dangers of shaking an infant, the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome is launching a national public education campaign to make tens of thousands of purple colored baby caps.

The grassroots campaign called, CLICK for Babies: Period of PURPLE Crying Caps, invites knitters and crocheters across North America to make purple colored baby caps which will be delivered to families in November and December with the Period of PURPLE Crying, an evidence based program that educates parents about normal infant crying, ways to cope with the crying and the dangers of reacting in frustration by shaking or abusing an infant. The campaign will launch in April as part of Child Abuse Prevention Month.

"A handmade purple cap is a great way to remind parents about the Period of PURPLE Crying and the dangers of shaking," says Ryan Steinbeigle, Campaign Director. "Last year, over 60,000 PURPLE colored caps were donated and distributed to thousands of families across North America in an effort to prevent infant abuse."

CLICK for Babies, now in its second year, is a collaborative effort between the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome and invited states and provinces who have implemented the Period of PURPLE Crying. Oregon, Washington, Utah, Kansas, Oklahoma, Iowa, North Carolina, West Virginia, New Hampshire and Maine have joined the 2012 campaign in addition to the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Ontario and Nova Scotia.

"We are so thrilled to be involved again in the CLICK for Babies campaign," says Sandy Nipper, RN, Child Safety Program Coordinator at Randall Children's Hospital at Legacy Emanuel in Oregon. "Last Year's campaign was so successful and it was such a wonderful experience to provide all of the handmade purple hats from knitters and crocheters across the country to parents and babies with the PURPLE program."

Organizers have set a goal of collecting 100,000 purple caps for the 2012 campaign. Caps will be collected from April through the end of September and distributed to babies in November and December. Knitters and crocheters are invited to send their caps to organizers in their area or directly to the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome.

More information about the CLICK for Babies campaign, including patterns for caps, guidelines and details about the national campaign are available at www.CLICKforbabies.org .

The Period of PURPLE Crying, developed by the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that works nationally to prevent the shaking and abuse of infants, is an evidence based infant abuse prevention program that has been implemented in over 900 hospitals and public health offices across North America to create awareness about normal infant crying and the dangers of shaking. To learn more about the Period of PURPLE Crying visit www.PURPLEcrying.info

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If you have any questions or concerns about what can be done to help babies who have been shaken, or families of babies who have died, please call Christopher Keane and The Keane Law Firm toll-free for free consultation at (888) 592-5437 (KIDS), click on contact us here, or use the web form provided at http://www.keanelaw.com

In Vermont, BMH nurses help parents keep babies safe | Shaken Baby Syndrome

The nurses in Brattleboro Memorial Hospital's Birthing Center have reportedly been recognized by the state for having the highest completion rate of parents who went through an educational program on the dangers of shaking infants. Last year, reportedly 97 percent of the families who used the birthing center completed, and returned, their pledges, saying they watched an eight-minute educational video and promising to keep their babies safe. The 97-percent completion rate was reportedly the highest in Vermont, said Kay Shangraw, manager of the Prevent Child Abuse Vermont Shaken Baby Syndrome Prevention Program. "Some hospitals only do the video, and others just do the education," Shangraw said at BMH Wednesday. "What the nurses are doing here is great. It means they are educating just about everybody." BMH has reportedly been taking part in the statewide education campaign since 2009, and during that time Vermont has seen a significant decrease in the number of reported incidents of shaken baby syndrome. Between October 2007 and December 2010 there were 23 cases in the news or brought to the attention of Prevent Child Abuse Vermont. Of those 23 cases, six infants died. To Read More on this Story: Click Here If you have any questions or concerns about what can be done to help babies who have been shaken, or families of babies who have died, please call Christopher Keane and The Keane Law Firm toll-free for free consultation at (888) 592-5437 (KIDS), click on contact us here, or use the web form provided at http://www.keanelaw.com

An ounce of prevention can save lives | Shaken Baby Syndrome

*Excerpt of story published for education and awareness*

Shaken baby syndrome (SBS) or abusive head trauma (AHT) is more common than one might think. Yet it is also a preventable health issue, one that can be addressed through education and awareness.

SBS/AHT occurs most commonly during the first few months of an infant’s life. This is also a time when prolonged, but often inconsolable, bouts of infant crying occur. These “bouts” are normal and an expected developmental phase. However, most parents and caregivers aren’t aware of this.

Coincidentally, this stage of an infant’s life occurs at a time when parents and caregivers are adjusting to bringing home a new baby, and ultimately, experiencing stress and various emotions at a higher level and frequency.

Through education and awareness, parents and caregivers can become informed about infant crying and SBS/AHT and in turn, prevent trauma from occurring. That was the idea Dr. Ron Barr and Marilyn Barr had when they developed the Period of PURPLE Crying, an evidence-based infant-abuse prevention program, first implemented in North Carolina.

This unique program seeks to create an understanding and a culture shift about the normal pattern of intense early infant crying, the frustration that can accompany it and how to cope. Its overarching goal is to save infants’ lives. Its purpose is to prevent SBS/AHT, which can result in severe, irreversible, lifelong brain damage or death.

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If you have any questions or concerns about what can be done to help babies who have been shaken, or families of babies who have died, please call Christopher Keane and The Keane Law Firm toll-free for free consultation at (888) 592-5437 (KIDS), click on contact us here, or use the web form provided at http://www.keanelaw.com

In Illinois, No charges so far in Mount Prospect baby’s death | Shaken Baby Syndrome

No charges have reportedly been filed thus far in the death of a 4-month-old Mount Prospect girl found unresponsive last week at an unlicensed home day care center in Hoffman Estates.

The Cook County Medical Examiner’s office is reportedly conducting further studies after an inconclusive autopsy Monday, Hoffman Estates Police Sgt. Darin Felgenhauer said.

Anna Belle Chung, who was reportedly unconscious and not breathing when paramedics arrived the morning of April 18 at the home on the 4200 block of Crimson Drive, was taken to St. Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates, then transferred to Children’s Memorial Hospital that night. She was pronounced dead at 11:44 a.m. Saturday at Children’s Memorial, police said.

Meanwhile, an Illinois Department of Children and Family Services reported investigation into allegations of abuse against a care provider associated with the center also is pending, spokesman Jimmie Whitelow said.

DCFS has reportedly ordered the Hoffman Estates day care facility, Sunflower Christian Montessori, to cease operating. Messages left on the Montessori day care’s answering machine have not been returned.

Hospital officials reportedly told the Cook County Medical Examiner the death could be a result of shaken baby syndrome.

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If you have any questions or concerns about what can be done to help babies who have been shaken, or families of babies who have died, please call Christopher Keane and The Keane Law Firm toll-free for free consultation at (888) 592-5437 (KIDS), click on contact us here, or use the web form provided at http://www.keanelaw.com

We Can Calm Crying Babies: New Hope in the Fight Against Child Abuse | Shaken Baby Syndrome

*Excerpt from an article posted on huffingtonpost.com 

One beautiful spring day in 2009, a senior manager at MIT's world famous Media Lab was home with his 6-month-old while his wife was at church. He had cared for his baby before, but that day was very different. His baby's cries made him lose control and he shook his baby so hard it caused a fatal brain hemorrhage.

People tend to think of infant crying and colic as a parenting nuisance. But it is much more serious. In fact, sleep deprivation and blasting the sound of crying babies for hours are used to prepare the Navy elite SEALS to endure torture!

Crying -- and the demoralization and exhaustion it provokes -- trigger a cascade of serious consequences, including marital conflict, postpartum depression, breastfeeding failure, SIDS/suffocation, car accidents, cigarette smoking, maternal obesity... and child abuse.

Almost 580,000 children were reported as abused in 2008, 1,740 of them died of their injuries. In addition to this terrible human cost, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control estimates the financial cost of these abuses at $124 billion/year.

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If you have any questions or concerns about what can be done to help babies who have been shaken, or families of babies who have died, please call Christopher Keane and The Keane Law Firm toll-free for free consultation at (888) 592-5437 (KIDS), click on contact us here, or use the web form provided at http://www.keanelaw.com

In South Dakota, Henry's Story: Surviving Shaken Baby Syndrome | Shaken Baby Syndrome

Nearly four and a half years later, A Hartford Family is reportedly trying to turn a tragedy into a triumph. Henry Johnson was a baby at the center of a court case after his daycare provider was accused of child abuse. Henry suffered life-threatening injuries as a result of Shaken Baby Syndrome, but unlike many children…Henry survived. Now, his family is on a mission to make sure their story isn't repeated...and that's what makes the Johnson family Someone You Should Know.

A bouncing ball of energy, 4-year-old Henry Johnson is reportedly nothing short of a miracle. When you meet Henry, his charming personality immediately wins you over. After brief introductions he grabs your hand to get a sense of who you are, and if you ask him to sing a song, it's enough to make your heart melt. But his little bits of conversation represent huge leaps and bounds.  When Henry was just 6 months old, his daycare provider was arrested after it was discovered Henry had suffered severe head trauma, very corner of his brain was damaged.  

Marissa Johnson, Henry’s mom reportedly says, “It's amazing to see him come up with new things now. He'll let us know, I want milk mommy…I mean that's huge, that's a big deal for us, that's what we celebrate.”

The lasting effects of the abuse are still evident; Henry is reportedly permanently blind and struggles with developmental delays. But new doors of opportunity open everyday for Henry. He sees around 7 different medical professionals each week, he's learning Braille and will be attending South Dakota's School For The Blind next year. And while Henry is still working to overcome obstacles; rather that focus on the negative, the Johnson's are doing their best to turn Henry's situation into something good. They've partnered up with the organization Child's Voice, to raise awareness and promote prevention.  This weekend, they're hosting the first ever “Henry's Run,” a 5K dedicated to spreading the word.


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If you have any questions or concerns about what can be done to help babies who have been shaken, or families of babies who have died, please call Christopher Keane and The Keane Law Firm toll-free for free consultation at (888) 592-5437 (KIDS), click on contact us here, or use the web form provided at http://www.keanelaw.com

In California, Northstate Recognizes National Shaken Baby Awareness Week | Shaken Baby Syndrome

This week is National Shaken Baby Awareness Week. Enloe Medical Center in Chico has "Mother and Baby Education Classes" that reportedly teach parents how to cope and soothe crying babies the right way.

Each year, 1,500 babies are diagnosed with Shaken Baby Syndrome.

Heidi Cantrell, a registered nurse and Enloe Medical Center's Prenatal Education Outreach Coordinator, states, 
"if you ever feel that you're going to react then you need stop and put the baby down and not react. "

Heidi reportedly teaches parents techniques to use to help soothe their babies, especially when situations can feel overwhelming.

Cantrell says reportedly in most cases intense crying triggers the parent to lose control. She says, "you may feel overwhelmed or out of control and that's the opportunity to put your baby down into a safe place and take a deep breath, get yourself centered, allow other people to help you."


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If you have any questions or concerns about what can be done to help babies who have been shaken, or families of babies who have died, please call Christopher Keane and The Keane Law Firm toll-free for free consultation at (888) 592-5437 (KIDS), click on contact us here, or use the web form provided at http://www.keanelaw.com

In Illinois, Police, DCFS investigate death of baby hurt at daycare | Shaken Baby Syndrome

Hoffman Estates Police and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services are reportedly investigating the death of a 4-month-old girl who died Saturday, possibly from shaken baby syndrome.

The baby girl, Anna Belle Chung, reportedly of East Debbie Drive in Mount Prospect, suffered injuries Wednesday at a home-based day-care center in Hoffman Estates and died three days later, said the medical examiner’s office.

The unidentified person reportedly being investigated for possible child abuse in Chung’s death was also investigated by DCFS for unrelated child abuse allegations in May 2010 that were later determined to be unfounded, said agency spokesman Jimmie Whitelow.

The girl’s parents are not the focus of the investigation, Whitelow said.

The day-care center reportedly looks like just another single family home on Crimson Drive in Hoffman Estates. But a look through the front window makes it clear the home has been set up to be a day-care center, with small chairs and tables, play stations and toys lining the wall, cribs in the dining room. The front landing is covered with chalk drawings of trains and other images.

The facility is incorporated as “Sunflower Christian Montessori,” though it appears on no list of licensed Montessori schools in Illinois. A message left on the school’s answering machine was not returned, and no one answered the door Sunday.

Neighbors reportedly said they suspected the home’s owners were running a day-care center because of the number of people dropping off kids and picking them up every day.

Police were reportedly called to the day-care center at 10:19 a.m. Wednesday for a report of a child unconscious and not breathing, police said Sunday.

She was reportedly taken to Saint Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates before being transferred to Children’s Memorial Hospital at 7 p.m., police said.

The baby was pronounced dead at Children’s Memorial 11:44 a.m. Saturday. The medical examiner’s office cited shaken baby syndrome as her preliminary cause of death.

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If you have any questions or concerns about what can be done to help babies who have been shaken, or families of babies who have died, please call Christopher Keane and The Keane Law Firm toll-free for free consultation at (888) 592-5437 (KIDS), click on contact us here, or use the web form provided at http://www.keanelaw.com

In Colorado, Mother Details Realities Of Shaken Baby Syndrome | Shaken Baby Syndrome

Never, ever shake a baby-- we’ve heard this warning all too often because a moment of frustration can steal the life of a child.

This month is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and doctors are reportedly reminding the community about the dangers of shaking a baby and causing serious head trauma.

Jackie Washburn has 17 children, 15 are adopted, and two of them were reportedly victims of violent crime, and suffer shaken baby syndrome.

She remembers adopting her son Steven.

“He was a sweet little 6-week-old baby that had suffered a violent act of abuse,” says Washburn.

And Matthew, blind and deaf, with her for over a decade, but he died.

“He loved to spin, spin, spin in his bed. He would constantly be moving and one year we all got the flu,” says Washburn.

Doctors reportedly say Matthew would have survived if he weren't suffering from shaken baby syndrome.

Dr. Paul Grabb is director of pediatric neurosurgery at Memorial Hospital, and he says if a baby is shaken or slammed into a bed or sofa vary between brain damage or death.

“Each child is different in regards to the severity, but unfortunately there seems to be an upswing in the frequency,” says Grabb.

Steven is now 16-years-old and seems like a happy child, but despite Steven’s happiness, Washburn doesn't want people to forget the seriousness of shaken baby syndrome.

“He is basically nonverbal, always will be in diapers, has basically lost any semblance of a normal life, and it is replaced by caregivers instead of dates and wheelchairs instead of Hot Wheels or cars,” said Washburn.

Washburn and doctors at Memorial Hospital stress that there are options, and that it’s OK to leave the child safe in its crib and let it cry.

If you feel like you have reached your limit, call 1-800-4-A-CHILD to get some help.


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If you have any questions or concerns about what can be done to help babies who have been shaken, or families of babies who have died, please call Christopher Keane and The Keane Law Firm toll-free for free consultation at (888) 592-5437 (KIDS), click on contact us here, or use the web form provided at http://www.keanelaw.com

In Georgia, 3 waive 1st hearings in death of Union City infant | Shaken Baby Syndrome

A Union City mother and two others reportedly charged in the death of her infant daughter waived their first court hearings Thursday, according to Channel 2 Action News.

The mother, Cella Copeland, has reportedly been charged with murder and cruelty to children in the death of the infant. The stepfather, Otis Lee Bennett, reportedly faces murder, cruelty to children and aggravated assault charges.Police charged  the three family members in the death of the nine-month-old baby, who was found face down and unresponsive in her crib at home on Monday.

Another family member in the household, Hetty Bennett, reportedly has been charged with cruelty to children. Police would not say how Bennett is related to the infant.

The three are reportedly being held in Fulton County Jail.

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If you have any questions or concerns about what can be done to help babies who have been shaken, or families of babies who have died, please call Christopher Keane and The Keane Law Firm toll-free for free consultation at (888) 592-5437 (KIDS), click on contact us here, or use the web form provided at http://www.keanelaw.com

The Aftermath | A Mother's Grief Part 4 of 4 | Shaken Baby Syndrome

How does one go on after their child is murdered? How have we lived every parents nightmare and continue growing and thriving and moving through the pain?

It's simple. No matter what way, the only way is to live.  There is no choice in whether we can or can not, at least if we want to see our children again in whatever beliefs we may have.  I have learned so much in the past 7 years, but I can assure you the most amazing thing I have learned is when I am at my lowest point, the deepest of depths, that I can do my best, I can learn the most, and I can help to reach the most people.

Is it easy? No way.  It is possible? Yes.

Surround yourself with resources to help yourself first and foremost.  Carry on your child's legacy by hosting events to help local organizations, or start your own.  Reach out and find others to Network with in comparable shoes.  Most importantly follow your heart, and all of those situations that you face, good or less than tolerable, go at them full force, and take everything in life as a learning experience.

Not everything happens for a reason.

However you can be a reason going forward that others do not have to suffer in their lives, because Shaken Baby Syndrome and Child Abuse are 100% preventable.

In Madilyne's Memory, and a personal desire to connect with families affected by Shaken Baby Syndrome, came forward to form The Shaken Baby Syndrome Support Network.  It is simply a network derived for the families, by the families affected to provide a safe place for families affected by Shaken Baby Syndrome to gather together.

It is not by any means a perfectly easy road.  You can live through it, but time is the only healer and the trials and triumphs one faces in life create a new being for you to become, and reveal lives second chances.

Thank you for reading the 4 parts to Madilyne's Legacy, and I hope you will continue to follow along!

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If you have any questions or concerns about what can be done to help babies who have been shaken, or families of babies who have died, please call Christopher Keane and The Keane Law Firm toll-free for free consultation at (888) 592-5437 (KIDS), click on contact us here, or use the web form provided at http://www.keanelaw.com

The See You Later | A Mother's Grief Part 3 of 4 | Shaken Baby Syndrome

There is absolutely no words to put in a phrase a sentence to describe the moments following the machines being unplugged from your child.  There was a solemn voice of hope inside my heart that she would continue to breathe on her own or revive herself, but the reality sank in as the shade of her skin turned a blueish gray.

We sat together in the hospital room in PICU as the nurses came in to unplug Madilyne from the machines.  She was pronounced brain dead at 9:50am on April 14, 2005 and unhooked 5 minutes following..

I knew in my heart that if, IF, my child had to be "let go" and I was going to send her to God, tat in my arms she would remain during her flight.  The machines began beeping uncontrollably, she didn't move.  There was a calming peace over her face and body, and I held her as she went to be with God.  It was so unreal, so surreal, the shock of what was taking place would take years to overcome, if ever.

I sat there with her in my arms for a while, as others anxiously awaited to hold her, for the last time.  She was flying home, home to a place where harm could never be close to her, a place where she could run again, and a place where I prayed God would place her upon his knee and tell her about me.

What would I do, I couldn't move I couldn't speak, the tears ran dry as I filled a sea with them in the prior days.  I knew she was safe, I was not sure how I would go on, but I knew it was through her I would find my way.

Every parent's nightmare had just presented itself in front of me.  I knew we had a confession from the perpetrator, but how would that carry itself out.

My family took me by my hands and lead me out of the hospital.  A good friend and coroner from our home town called to say he would fly down in his plane and bring her home for burial.  After leaving the hospital I didn't want to sleep, I didn't want to eat, talk, ride in a car, nothing.  I just went where my family asked me to, in a mode I refer to as survival mode.

There was so much shock instilled in my veins, I know we drove some 4 hours home, but I do not remember the drive.  I do not remember saying more than asking if my brother and his soon to be wife would be there with us for a while.

Family began to arrive from near and far once we arrived home.  Madilyne's Father came by my parents home to do a task neither of us should of had to do.  The funeral home came over to assist in picking out her casket, the most heart wrenching task other than leaving Madilyne at the hospital knowing I had her diaper bag packed in the car for her exit rom the hospital.

We picked out a casket that held meaning to us.  Angels wear white and more than a few places donated burial dresses for us to choose from.  A local printing company printed her funeral programs, and leading up to the funeral, family and friends came from near and far.

The hurtful comments flooded in, such as "I can not attend her funeral because I can not handle it". Or friendships abruptly ended even then because others couldn't bear the truth.  Neither could I.  I continued to walk in a daze, in a haze of shock and disbelief and no matter what I wanted or didn't want to do I did it because it wasn't about me.. It was about my child, my daughter the love of my life.

The visitation was hard, I remember standing outside most of the time, because I could not get near the casket.  We had an open casket because I wanted the world to see what the monster had done to her..  It didn't look like her.. but I will never forget those last moments..

Then came the funeral.  I was very thankful for the side room because I knew I would not handle anything as I thought I would and I knew I just needed to let myself go and feel and act the way I needed to for the time and the reason of that day.  I ended up throwing up 3 times prior to leaving the funeral home because I could not contain the overwhelming emotions, knowing we were on our way to put my child forever in that box in the ground..

The drive to the gravesite, though only a few miles seemed to take forever.  I didn't want to ride in the limo.. it is a luxury, who cares about "things" when this is happening.. I just wanted her back, I wanted everyone to go away and I wanted to just have one more day.. even though that could never happen, ever again...

After her burial, I had often wished as the months grew on that I could have wrote on notecards, asking family and friends to leave after the burial and come back in 2 months or 2 years when the grief would worsen and their lives would go on, and make me go to the movies or make me go out to dinner, because the more time went by, the more lonely life seemed to get, because my life was still at a stand still, there were no steps forward, or getting over it, or moving past it.  The worlds stopped turning, and came to a complete halt..

I never could ever forget the gracious hearts of those surrounding Madilyne and my family, but within grief it can be selfish to some that do not understand the extent of one's grief, because no matter what is happening and who is there its still lonely, and you feel alone.. because a giant piece of your heart is forever gone.

Through the deepest depths I have lived to present day, but how?  Part 4 comes soon, stay tuned.

The In-Between Hours | A Mother's Grief Part 2 of 4 | Shaken Baby Syndrome

The silence in my ears over the course of the next 24 hours is irreplaceable.  The silence when Madilyne laid in the hospital bed fighting with all her might to live through the injuries sustained April 12, 2005.  Though it was some 7 years ago.. I still fight for life each and everyday..


When I hear sirens, I have flashbacks driving behind the ambulance, I hear an oven timer and think they're unplugging the machines from her, I hear a baby scream and panic that another child is being hurt, I don't like to hear my phone ring because my heart races that its the lady calling. I don't speak for the first 30 minutes of each day because those first 30 minutes is when we giggled and played peek a boo. It took me 2 years to even be around other children, 4 years to hold a child and 5 years to know someone could love me again unconditionally with as broken as I am. You learn to live through the pain, you learn to leave full shopping carts when you panic, and it took me 7 years to even say outloud that I want to have a child again...

Rachel Puckett teaching 2 little blessings about Madilyne at her grave.

I lost my heart and my soul 04-14-05.. and my husband, introduced me to a love that was only a dream at the time, and is now a reality. No one ever speaks of the nightmares one has as the date of the incident creeps up every single year. You would think it gets easier as the years go by.. but I assure everyone I ever meet.. It gets harder and there are a lot more questions, and wondering, and trying to imagine the what ifs'..


During these next 24 hours, Madi laid in a hospital bed hooked to many machines.. the beeping sounds one could never forget.  A program at Tulsa Children's hospital provided us with hand and feet casts we cherish to this day.  All of our family and friends came from near and far to say their goodbyes, as it was on this day we were asked my the Dr. what decision we wanted to make.  He only gave us 2 options, 1. being to take her off the machines, and 2. to allow nature to run its course. 


When we arrived the prior evening at the hospital we were told what no family wanted to hear. Madilyne was suffering from Shaken Baby Syndrome with a 1% chance of survival.  This incident was called the worst case of Shaken Baby Syndrome the hospital had seen in the State at the time.. Knowing this, and seeing Madilyne fight through the blood transfusions, the rashes she would break out in due to the medications.. It was a decision no parent should ever have to make..

I remember holding her hands.. touching her hands repeatedly.. I was too afraid to touch her, my mother leaning over to tell me it was ok, I could talk to her.. The nurse came in asking if I wanted to hold her, and I feared to, simply because I did not want to hurt her anymore than the damage done..


On this day 7 years ago we received a phone call, the licensed day care provider willingly went to the police station and gave a 2+ hour video and audio taped confession of what took place..


The waiting continued for us, as Madilyne continued to fight for her life in a coma, for the next hours...

If you have any questions or concerns about what can be done to help babies who have been shaken, or families of babies who have died, please call Christopher Keane and The Keane Law Firm toll-free for free consultation at (888) 592-5437 (KIDS), click on contact us here, or use the web form provided at http://www.keanelaw.com

7 Years Ago | A Mother's Fight with Grief | Shaken Baby Syndrome

For those of you who do not know who I am, my name is Rachel Puckett and I am the Child Abuse Social Media Coordinator for Keane Law Firm.  My time with Keane Law Firm has been nothing short of amazing.  However, I come from a pair of shoes unlike any other.

In April 2005, my daughter Madilyne began fighting for her life on this very day at 4:35p.m. I will never forget that day, as that day forever changed my life.  Though it has been 7 years, the hours leading up to that point are full of anxiety, my mind is unable to rest, and the nightmares begin when I close my eyes..  Ever since I met my now husband, I know that he was sent to me for much greater reasons than I could ever know.. His birthday is April 14th, the day my daughter Madilyne passed away at 9:50a.m...

It has been a very long, and hard road.  I have taken all the advice given to me, and handed some back when circumstances did not grant comfort, but yet hostility. Before Madilyne died, life seemed so simple, and so fresh.  There was such a hope and trust, I would forever loose April 12th, 2005.

As a mother whom has been to the deepest depths of life, I plan to share intimately with you over the course of the next 72 hours, a personal recount of life as I knew it, and the beautiful life God has placed before me now.  

Stay tuned!

If you have any questions or concerns about what can be done to help babies who have been shaken, or families of babies who have died, please call Christopher Keane and The Keane Law Firm toll-free for free consultation at (888) 592-5437 (KIDS), click on contact us here, or use the web form provided at http://www.keanelaw.com

April Family Spotlight | Maddalynn Marie Lowry | with Sadi Workman and Rachel Puckett

Today we bring you a story of un-silenced triumph, through a story many have known, but may not have known the contributor to the story.


Rachel Puckett is the Child Abuse Social Media Coordinator for Keane Law Firm, and she recently planned, as many blushing brides do, the wedding of her new dreams.  The flowers, food, the hand written vows, picking out the bridesmaid dresses, clear down to the flowers... However, there is one key factor that played such an important role in making her special day complete.


We introduce to you Sadi Workman, mother to Maddalynn Marie Lowry, victim of Shaken Baby Syndrome.

Sadi Workman and Maddalynn Marie Lowry

The paths of two complete strangers crossed in April 2007, at the 2nd Annual Shaken Baby Syndrome Candlelight Vigil in Sarasota Florida.  The event, was the first public event that strives to bring together families with shared experiences for comfort, being those that have suffered a loss or life changing experience due to Shaken Baby Syndrome.


While setting up the last picnic tables at the beach gazebo, just off Siesta Key Beach, Rachel noticed a face she had not seen ever before.. Looking around she saw everyone flooding in that RSVP'd, however there was a face, she had never come across and wanted to know more.  The Vigil and Event was a success from start to finish, and as the Vigil came to a close, the spark of a life long friendship came to form.  This person was Sadi Workman.


Sadi was just getting into the routine as a mother to Maddalynn whom was born September 28, 2001... and little did Sadi know all that would soon change again December 2, 2001, the day her daughter was Shaken.  On December 6th, Madalynn passed on due to the injuries sustained due to Shaken Baby Syndrome, and the perpetrator served only 7 years for what he did to her...

Maddalynn Marie Lowry

Going through the motions of grief, even years later Sadi is struggling to understand, comprehend why, and taking the steps to maintain a healthy being for her son she is currently raising.  Taking medications of all sorts prescribed under the close supervision of a primary care physician, is definently not what she could ever have known back in September 2001.


Rachel goes on to tell us, "After the Vigil when I met Sadi, we just had such an immediate bond, as both of our daughters, Maddalynn and Madilyne, were shaken to death, by someone we trusted.. and I knew our friendship would be un-ending."

Sadi and her son pictured with many other families at the Annual SBS Vigil

They would go on for the next 5 years talking back and forth on the internet, as their paths crossed one day in Sarasota Florida, Sadi would make a move to Illinois and Rachel would make the move to Little Rock Arkansas.


On February 19th, 2011, Rachel received 2 of the best gifts life could ever give to her.. the chance to fulfill her dreams of marriage, and to have Sadi in her wedding in March 2012..  Those dreams came full circle March 10th 2012.. Throughout the planning process many things could raise the eyebrow of the simplest person, however not for Rachel, and not for Sadi.


Dressed in a black dress, standing at the front of the room, Rachel walked in to see Sadi standing there with her soon to be husband, which could not have been pictured anymore perfect.

Sadi (left) Rachel (right)

There is a calming sense to our friendship, because we know the struggles each other has to battle.  Many of our battles to fight the un-ending grief in our hearts, brings us to hours on end of phone conversations.  It is not an unpleasant thing, but one of the greatest of blessings two broken hearts can have. A friend no matter the circumstance.

Sadi works to move through the grief, and to be the voice for Maddalynn in the best way she knows how.. Speaking of her, attending events, and ensuring that her son knows he has a sister who loves him very much.


"Life could never present to us the perfection it once had at the most trying of times.. but I believe through the love and support gained with meeting others affected and in comparable situations can truly be the healer of the heart with the help of God." -Rachel


"We met one day at the beach at an event that almost never was.. I would have never thought that just as the importance of a Father giving away his daughter at her wedding, a grieving mother standing next to my soon to be husband while my Father gave me away, would make such a huge impact on such a special day." -Rachel


Life does not always go on the way one may hope for it to, but life does have a beauty in the way things work themselves out, even on the darkest of days.

In Loving Memory of Maddalynn Marie Lowry

If you have any questions or concerns about what can be done to help babies who have been shaken, or families of babies who have died, please call Christopher Keane and The Keane Law Firm toll-free for free consultation at (888) 592-5437 (KIDS), click on contact us here, or use the web form provided at http://www.keanelaw.com