Remembering Ricky Poore Jr.

Thomas "Chase" Sullivan SBS Survivor

Two months after my beautiful twin boys were born...one of my sons was shaken by a family member. I was told he would be a vegetable for life, he would never talk or walk & he would stay in the curled up fetal position for life. I was completely devastated the day I was told this. I was in shock...showing no emotion and the doctors continue to ask me if I heard what they said! I then said, "Yes, I understand." As I walked out of the hospital, I took my 6mn old twin boys & placed them in their car seats. As I closed the car door it hit me like a load of bricks! The sky laterally turned black...it began to rain with a vengeance...and I looked up to Heaven screaming and crying, "Why God, why"! Almost 11 years later I still deal with the pain and anger daily. The court system failed us and the perpetrator never served a day in jail.

My son Chase has brought us so much joy and taught us what true unconditional love is. Chase has over come obstacles his doctors said he would never do. He is not on a feeding tube, he is barley drooling now, he is walking with AFO leg braces and he does have a range of communication skills. We have come so far in our journey and we still have more to accomplish. I take each day by day with the courage I get from both my children.
There are two ways to live your life...One as though nothing is a miracle...The other as though everything is a miracle. At first glance my son now seems to not have any impairments but, soon you do come to realize his special needs. Chase is 300% better than the doctors said he would ever be. This is by the grace of God & years of therapy. We still have a long way to go, but each day just proves to me what I should really be thankful for! I was very blessed with having twins. My other son (big brother by 1 minuet) takes his role very seriously. He is a loving caregiver even at his young age. I know God gave me Twin Angels so they can take care of each other when I’m gone. Even though we may not understand the paths we must take in life God does. He knows what we need to go through & he knows who to put there to help us get over the obstacles. Be sure to stop and think about what you and your family really needs to live a productive and happy life. Never complain about being busing taking your kids to events because you never know when it all could be taken from you. Live for every moment and love every second God gives you with your children. Protect, Nurture, Love & Teach all children with their abilities & disabilities.

Thank you,
Christine Kunclrs

~Seraphina's Story~

I am 21 yrs old and a mother of 2. My oldest will be 2 August 24. My youngest will be 1 August 11. My oldest name is Seraphina. She is blind and disabled due to child abuse. My little angel was 6 months old when she was beaten for the last time. She was living with her father and his girlfriend while we were undergoing a custody battle. I knew there was abuse going on in the home and I contacted the police and Department of Child services and they did nothing. I was even prepared to kidnap her but they never let her out of the home where I could get to her. After she was taken the from them the last time we heard about the abuse she endured. She wasn't allowed to eat when she was hungry if she didnt eat fast. She wasn't allowed to sleep unless on their schedule. She was spanked, slapped and, put in time out beginning at 1 month old. She even had her hands safety pinned behind her back so she wouldn't get out of a swaddle at night. Once there was a police report made when they took her to the ER because she was pooping blood. The Drs noticed that Sera had handprint bruises on her stomach. She was squeezed so hard that it cause bruises. Even after that and another incident of a black eye she was not taken from the home. The last time she was abused was on February 18, 2009. Her father's girlfriend, Alicia, was home alone with Sera and her own daughter who was a newborn. She had gotten angry with Sera becuase she was whiney and took her into her room and holding her around her waist, swung her back and forth beating her head against her own crib. She did this several times and than threw her into her crib so hard she hit her head yet again off the other side. Sera went into shock and started choking yet Alicia just turned up the music in the room and left shutting the door behind her. She told police later that she thought she killed her. By the time her father got home Alicia had went in to the room and picked up Sera and was holding her as she siezed and choked in her arms. Alicia claimed she couldn't find the phone, but her father was able to find the phone right away. He called 911 and an abulance came and picked her up. The parametic on the ambluance did a quick assesment on her and said that on a scale from 3-15 Sera was an 8. She was not responding to anything but more pain and even then all she could do was wimper. Once they got her on the way to the hospital they needed to get her on some pain medication. Because Sera was so stiff they had to take a corkscrew like tool and put an IV into her bone marrow. Finally they were able to get her on morphine and she started to relax.
Meanwhile, I was pregnant with my second child. I was not feeling well. Not having a clue what was happening to my baby, I went to the ER to make sure everything was OK with the way I was feeling. When I got there and was getting ready to be checked in, my daughter had arrived. The Dr came to me and asked me if I brought a baby with me. I told him no and realized they were talking about my daughter. They escorted me and my fiance to a family waiting room and told us that my daughter had been dropped when being put into her crib (that was Alicia's story at the time). After a few tests the Drs knew that the damage done to my daughter was not an accident. That is when the interogations started. They told me I was not allowed to see my daughter. They also gave me the worst news a mother could hear. They told me that the damage done to my baby was to severe and that she would't make it through the night. She was still seizing, had a skull fracture, a bleed in her brain, detacted retinas, a clot in her brain, along with bruises all over her. I could do nothing but sob as my heart broke. The only thing that kept me going was the child that was growing inside me. They sent me home after what seemed like an eternity of trying to calm me down. That night was so tramatizing I dont remember much of it. The next day I called the hospital and my baby was still alive. I was finally oked to see her and stay with her that afternoon. The first time I saw her my heart broke all over again. She was laying in the white barred crib that looked like a miniture prison cell. She had wires connected every where on her little body. Gauze covered her head to keep the electrodes on her head and a splint on her arm to keep her from knocking out IV's. She laid there lifelss. If it wasn't for the machines saying she was alive I wouldn't have believed them. She looked like she was terrified to move.
The next few days she was back and forth from the ped's unit to the Intensive care unit. Her siezures would come and go. She was put on several meds to keep her from seizing. They had to keep her tired so she wouldn't get worked up. After the 10th day. I decided to go home that night to get some rest so I wouldn't hurt the child I was carrying. The next day I came up to the hospital to see Sera and we were informed that she was placed in a foster home. I was devestated. We went to the DFS office to try and fight to get her back, but all they could tell me is that they "suggested I sign my rights over because I couldn't handle all the challages of raising a child as special as Sera". She was never going to walk or stand or see. They told me that she was going to be in diapers for the rest of her life and would never speak. Even hearing all that I knew I had to get my daughter back. After 5 months of jumping through hoop after hoop and going to visits and classes. I finally "earned" the right to have my daughter back.
Ever since, we have been working with her constently to make sure that she lives to the best of her abilities. She is in Physical Therapy, Oral/Speech Therapy, Disabilty Services, and School for the Deaf and Blind. With all the services she is in, she has learned to stand on her own. She is starting to walk. Is learning sign language, and says a few words. She is on seizure medication. And is learning how to use her other senses to make up for the loss of her vision. We have come a long way. But as we are going on we have more trials that keep coming up. We have just recently found out that there still is a chance of brain deteoriation and that her life span has all ready been shortened. We are now in the process of finding a Dr who is willing to help us find the aswers we need to help her.
Also because of the stress I endured during the tramatic event my daughter underwent, my youngest little girl, Emilie, is also having problems. She was born 5 weeks early and we have had many tests done on her. She has calcium deposits in her brain, she favors one side more that the other, (although not as much anymore), she had tortiulis in her neck which cause a misshappen head, and she was very slow to reach her milestones. We are also having those things looked into by a Dr in Seattle.
We just ended our trial against Alcia Hocter for all the pain she has caused our family. She was found guilty of Aggravated Asault and Criminal Endangermant. Finally after 1 yr and 4 mo she will be sentenced on July 14, 2010. In that period of time she has been out of jail she has had another child and gotten engaged to a registered sex offender. She is looking at a sentence of 30 yrs at the most. In order to ensure she gets the full sentence I need to collect letters stating to the judge that this shouldn't be tolerated and asking that he shows her no mercy as she has shown none so sweet Seraphina. If you are interested in writing one please let me know.
Even with all of this we still manage to find happiness in every little thing my girls accomplish. Sera's father has signed over his rights to her and Will, my fiance, will adopt her right after we are married on July 24, 2010. At that point we will finally be a family. We will be faced with struggles every day and new trials will always arise, but someone was watching over my little girl that day as well as my youngest the day she was born. They are meant to be here and will achieve what they are meant to. God(or whomever is up there) has only taken from my babies what they don't need to fufill there reason they are on this earth. I have confidence that they are being closly watched and protected in there life here.
If you are intersted in keeping up with my daughter's story you can join our page and fight against child abuse. Seraphina's page is on facebook~

*Update* To read about the justice served please CLICK HERE*

Written by Kendra, Seraphina's Mother

Joseph "Billy" Williams

Joseph "Billy" Williams, was born August 5, 2001 into what seemed to be a loving family with a Mom, Dad and my big sister Annie, All seemed proud to have me in their life. My big sister couldn't wait for Mommy to come home with me and when we came home, My dad couldn't take me out of the car seat fast enough for her to hold me. My life changed just a few short weeks later... Both my Mommy and my Granny suspected something was wrong but I never bruised, I never lost conciseness. There was no tell signs that I was abused, then on Nov. 3rd 2001 my mommy was able to take me in to get looked at only to her surprise they found that I had 4 broken ribs that were almost healed and some brain trauma. This broke my mommy's and my Granny's heart. I still don't understand how my own Dad could have done this to me, he was supposed to protect me not hurt me. My mommy and Granny spent the next several years trying to help me through my physical challenges. I'm now nearly 8 and I'm doing things that the doctors said Id never be able to do. I can run, jump write my name, I can even play on the monkey bars now. My mommy and Granny are SO happy of my progress. My Dad never had any charges pressed against him, which I know upset my family but my Mommy made sure that he could never hurt me again or hurt my big sister. I never want any other family to have go through what my family when through, SO please I beg with you all Never hurt a child!

New Decals!!

These new decals can be personalized with your child's name! Please ensure when purchasing you send in your child's name for the decal through paypal, or send in through email to Rachel. Once put on the vehicle you will not see the white box, just the letters and ribbon are outlined in white. They are $8.50 per decal, and cheaper if purchased in quantities over 15. To obtain a quote on quantities over 15, please email Rachel directly at rachel@sbssupportnetwork.com. Please click the paypal button below to purchase, or if you are experiencing problems, submit payment through paypal by sending the amount to suesbuffalo@yahoo.com

*Please note, shipping over seas does increase the price, however not by much. If you are overseas and are ordering, please contact Rachel prior to ordering via paypal.

Don't have paypal and want to mail in payment?

Please make check or money order out to : Rachel Sumner
and mail payment to:
Shaken Baby Syndrome Support Network
PO BOX 21693
Little Rock, AR 72221

Choose your decal!

Personalized $8.50 Standard without Name $7.50 (15) Personalized Decals $100.00

~Survivor Tyler Wade Gruhler~

The date was March 15th, 2008. The place, a small apartment in Orlando, FL. A young couple and their 2 children were finally achieving one of their dreams, and had just moved out on their own. Things were looking up for them, and never had the couple been more in love. Waking up in the mornings to an innocent 3 month old boy, Tyler, and his older brother, William, and to the strength of each other's love was an amazing experience. Tristin, the mother, had found a decent paying job working overnights at a local gas station. Robert, the Father, wasn't having much luck in the job department, having left his last job within days of Tyler being born. It was decided that Daddy would watch the boys at night while Mommy worked, then he would go job hunting after Mommy had made breakfast everyday. Things worked out well that way for about 5 weeks.
One night while Tristin was at work, Robert called, clearly frustrated by the baby crying. Tristin offered to come home early, with permission from her manager. Robert refused her, saying they needed her paycheck, and he was fine. Tristin advised him to leave Tyler in the crib and to go outside to smoke a cigarette. William was already asleep, undisturbed by his brother's tears. Robert hung up, seemingly more relaxed. Then he called back, to say goodnight, the baby was asleep. Tristin went about her shift, answering the phone when it rang again at about 5:15 AM. It was Robert again, but Tristin knew the moment she picked up that phone that something was wrong
"Its Tyler, its the baby!" sobbed Robert
"What's wrong?" asked Tristin, thinking maybe he had woken again and that Robert was exhausted.
"He isn't breathing, and he is shaking, twitching. I don't know what's wrong!"
"call 911, now! I'll be right there!"
Tristin's and her co worker jumped on his motorcycle and made it to the apartment in about 3 minutes, where they found Robert holding a very still Tyler in the doorway. Tristin ran and reached for the baby, taking him into her arms and calling his name over and over.
"where is the ambulance?" she cried, panic stricken and horrified at her child unmoving in her arms
"I'll call them now" Robert replied, turning away. Tristin began moving Tyler's arms, calling to him as she did so. Finally, he issued a thin cry, and began twitching in her arms. Tristin sobbed as the ambulance's red lights washed over her. The paramedics rushed in and took charge. "what happened?" one asked her. Tristin looked to Robert. "He fell off of the changing table and hit his head on the tile floor"
Tristin and Tyler were hustled into the ambulance, leaving Robert with William until their friend could arrive.
Once at the hospital, everything was in slow motion, Tristin watching her child struggle to breathe, to cry. She kept thinking "how does a fall do THIS? how did it cause so much damage?"
The answer came a few days later. Tristin went to the hospital to visit her son, who was in an induced coma, and was intercepted by a detective and a protective services agent. They questioned her about her activities on the day of the accident. When they seemed satisfied by her responses, they finally broke the news to her that Tyler was showing all of the symptoms of SBS. Tristin's whole world shattered at that moment. She hadn't hurt Tyler. There was only one other person who could have.
The detective offered her a ride home, and she walked, zombie-like into the apartment, staring at Robert as though seeing him for the first time. "what happened?" he asked, startled at her appearance. Tristin stared at him "They found something, didn't they?" asked Robert, suddenly pale. Tristin stood aside and allowed the detective to enter the room. Robert submitted to questioning, Tristin held his hand, praying it wasn't true, praying it was all a misunderstanding.
It wasn't. Robert confessed to shaking Tyler "rather aggressively" twice and to dropping him onto their bed from about 6 inches high.
Since the detective and protective services couldn't prove that Tristin hadn't known about this, and since her alibi wasn't proven, they removed both children from her custody, as well as Roberts, placing Tyler in medical foster care, and William with his biological Dad, someone William had never even met in his life.
It took 2 weeks for them to arrest Robert, and another week after that Tristin finally got to see her son's again. Since Tyler was in such poor shape, the medical family kept him until Tristin could complete a case plan and comply with DCF's wishes that she take parenting, anger management and counseling. 6 months all together passed before the children were returned to Tristin.
Within the 6 months, Tyler showed significant steps towards recovery, crawling and babbling. He took his first steps weeks before his 1st birthday.
Now, Tyler is 2 and a half. He is a completely normal child, walking, talking, and going through the classic "terrible twos" He is a hero in his family's eyes, proving that nothing is impossible, and to never give up hope, not even for a second. William and Tyler are incredibly close, even thought William is still too young at 5 to understand what happened that night.
As for Robert, he was sentenced to 9 years for his crime, based on the fact that he did take full blame and was sincerely sorry for what he had done. Tristin struggles to this day with her emotions over him, preferring to stay far away from all men in general. The only important males in her life are her heart and soul, William and Tyler Wade.
This family was blessed by coming out the other side still standing, stronger than ever. But Tristin doesn't take any of this for granted, knowing full well the outcome of similar stories, the unbearable heartache and suffering of families everywhere. She is grateful everyday for her miracle baby, her little warrior, her amazing SBS survivor, Tyler Wade Gruhler

We need YOU for 2011! Want to attend the vigil? Here is how!

There have been many questions submitted regarding this next years 2011 5th Annual Shaken Baby Syndrome Candlelight Vigil which we hope will take place at Universal Studios in Orlando Florida April 2011. In order for this to happen, we have a year to plan the event, and a year to raise the much needed funds to make this happen.

Here are some of the questions that have been submitted answered:

1. The goal is to raise $15,000 dollars, what does it go for exactly?

The goal is set to raise enough funds to provide travel assistance to 100+ families. This travel expense will assist also with the $50 per person needed to enter the facilities at Universal Studios. This is simply the cost to host the event at this location, and provide families a chance of a lifetime to enjoy a day in the parks with those whom know their pain and circumstances. This will enable a chance for the families to gather in one place, and enjoy time together in one of the funnest places in the world. Creating smiles on the faces of those where destruction has taken over is our #1 goal.

2. I want to attend but will need assistance. How do I sign up for assistance?

There is a continuing revolving list that remains each and every year. We will put you in a slot on our list, and as funding becomes available you are offered assistance and the chance to arrange to come, and should you need to decline the next person in line will be offered such assistance. With that said, we have an entire year. Currently we as a network are doing everything in our power to ensure your attendance, however, you have an entire year to save towards your trip, and host fundraisers of your own. We ask that you do everything in your ability to raise the funds before asking for assistance. With our limited amount of funds each year, if you have received funding in previous years we will place your name on our standby list.

3. What can I do to help?

We are currently seeking family members to join our support team to broaden the spectrum of stories and circumstances to support all the new families joining our support network each and everyday. We are also seeking bloggers, and many other positions are coming available, and are volunteer, at your discretion.

4. I can not get the links to work to donate or purchase merchandise!

At anytime, if you are having an issue with any links to donate or purchase, please email Rachel at rachel@sbssupportnetwork.com, or send payment via paypal to suesbuffalo@yahoo.com

5. What is provided if I am funded for the vigil?

Currently as the past years, we provide (1) round trip plane ticket, a place to stay, and food. This is all courteous of Rachel and family, and local organizations including churches. Transportation will be provided for you for the duration of your stay.

These are just a few of the numerous questions we are receiving on a daily basis. You can always contact our team via the emails below, or call our organization hotline at 5012462917. Without you, this event can not take place! Lets make this next year, our 5th year the biggest yet! Pass along the information to everyone you know. If you would like information regarding our organization, and a request support letter to forward along, please use the contact us page on our website at http://www.shakenbabysupport.com or http://www.sbssupportnetwork.com

*Update on 501 (c) 3* The process is long as most know. We will be creating a fundraiser very shortly to raise the $750.00 needed to submit our paperwork to the IRS, however we have obtained our articles of incorporation which is a big step for us!

Thank you!

Rachel

rachel@sbssupportnetwork.com

Contact Our Team:

angela@sbssupportnetwork.com

lisa@sbssupportnetwork.com

mamakim@sbssupportnetwork.com

steffany@sbssupportnetwork.com

tara@sbssupportnetwork.com