Then he explained how his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he had a seizure. But he didn’t call 911 because he didn’t want to get in trouble. And his wife’s response when told all the details:  ‘Well, he gets frustrated sometimes.’ Oh, and by the way, she knew something was wrong with that sweet baby boy but decided to finally give him a bottle and let him be. And that woman, the one who gave birth to him, stood by that abuser even through the criminal trial where a year and a half after we first held that sweet baby boy, his abuser was sentenced to four years in prison. That baby boy was sentenced to a life of disabilities.

Now for the happy part of the story. That sweet baby boy, well he was very much loved and cared for. That sweet baby boy fought hard. When we brought him home, not only did we feed him, but we held him. Around the clock, he was held. During the day, he was wrapped to me to hear my heartbeat and feel my skin on his cheeks. At 4 months old, he began therapies. Occupational, physical, and speech for feed. He couldn’t hold up his head for many months; he wasn’t even able to sit up on his own at a year, let alone walk.

We were blessed to find specialists who fought hard with us. They told us they would not tell us what he can or can’t do, but instead would let him tell us.  They said the brain is an amazing creation, and neuro-plasticity is an incredible science that allows the brain to heal. And even though he suffered what is known as a TBI (traumatic brain injury) that left him with brain damage, the brain has the ability to, in essence, reformat.