St. Luke’s set to host a “knit-in” for Shaken Baby Syndrome awareness

Jeff and Kirsten Corrigan had a different life planned for their son Ryan, than the life he's living. The 10-year-old is mostly confined to a wheelchair and the reason he's there is 100 percent preventable.

The Corrigan's adopted Ryan when he was just eight days old.

“I fell in love with him immediately,” said Kirsten. “His arrival was such a blessing.”

Since Kirsten and Jeff work full-time they needed a daycare provider. After Ryan's arrival – they searched for the perfect daycare. They believed they had found it with an in-home provider.

“Our choice was somewhat unconventional because we picked a male caregiver,” said Kirsten. “We interviewed and looked at many options but this one was the best for us. He was a teacher and was staying home for a couple of years to be with his own children. He shared a lot of our values.”

That relationship seemed to be going well until January 16, 2002. Ryan was nine-months-old.

“Jeff went to pick Ryan up from daycare and he was sleeping,” recalls Kirsten. “He didn't wake up when Jeff arrived home so he called the daycare provider who told him Ryan was probably just tired from a busy day.”

Only Ryan wasn't fine. The Corrigans took him to St. Luke's Emergency Department when they still couldn't wake him. It was there doctors determined that a fourth of Ryan's blood supply was pooling in his brain. He was the victim of Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS).

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention SBS is a preventable, severe form of physical child abuse resulting from violently shaking an infant by the shoulders, arms or legs. It is the leading cause of child abuse death in the United States. Nearly all victims of SBS suffer serious health consequences and at least one in every four babies who are violently shaken dies from their injuries.

“We were shocked, tremendously upset and I remember the doctors telling us Ryan's life was at risk,” said Kirsten.

Following a seven-hour brain surgery Ryan was in a coma for over a week. When doctors felt he was ready - they took away his breathing support and thankfully he started breathing on his own. After nearly three weeks in the hospital Ryan recovered enough to go home.

“Doctors said he was still a very sick baby and we didn't know what his development would be long-term,” said Kirsten. “Before he was just starting to crawl and when he was released from the hospital his development regressed to newborn status with no head control or movement of his arms or legs.”

During Ryan's hospital stay the Police and Department of Human Services investigators began asking Jeff and Kirsten questions.

“We were suspects,” said Kirsten. “Especially Jeff since he was the last person to be with Ryan before we went to the hospital. They completed their investigation and charged Ryan's daycare provider.”

The daycare provider was eventually convicted of child endangerment.

Today Ryan is ten years old and has significant cognitive and physical challenges as a result of his SBS injuries. He is learning to self-feed and is mostly confined to a wheelchair. He's in fourth grade and enrolled in the highest level special needs program.

“Ryan has a delightful personality,” said Kirsten. “He wakes up every morning with a smile. He laughs a lot and is very affectionate. But I can't help but think about how his life could have been very different and that's why I am sharing our story. I never want another family to go through what we did. It's amazing the impact that Shaken Baby Syndrome can have on a life and it's 100 percent preventable.”

St. Luke's Hospital is participating in a state-wide effort to bring about awareness and help prevent infant abuse. The hospital is hosting an upcoming Click for Babies Knit-In, Saturday, August 27 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the St. Luke's Center for Women's and Children's Health lobby, which is located at 150 11

^th

St. NE Cedar Rapids.

Knitters from Cedar Rapids and surrounding communities are encouraged to gather and knit purple baby hats for distribution at Iowa birthing hospitals in November. The knitted caps will be given to babies along with educational materials to new parents about the Period of PURPLE Crying, which is a normal, although frustrating, period of increased crying infants may experience in the first few weeks and months after birth. Frustration with an infant's crying is the number one reason someone shakes and harms an infant. By knitting PURPLE baby caps knitters can help St. Luke's educate parents that crying is normal and it is never okay to shake or harm an infant.

“We must change the perception across society that infant crying – even excessive crying – is normal,” said Denise Easley, RN, St. Luke's NICU. “It will help ease the stress parents are feeling when dealing daily with a crying infant. And easing the stress can help control the frustration that triggers an episode of shaking. Shaken Baby Syndrome is 100 percent preventable with education.”

To learn more, visit:

clickforbabies.org or contact

St. Luke's NICU Nurse Denise Easley at 319/369-7724 or

EASLEYDK@crstlukes.com.