- Target:
- United States Congress
- Region:
- United States of America
My son Joshua was shaken 10 - 15 times on January 1st 2006. He has suffered severe permanent brain damage; everything except his brain stem was permanently destroyed. He had two front sub-dural hematomias, severe bilateral retinal hemorrhaging and he also suffered a skull fracture. The retinal bleeding was so severe that Josh is now only able to see shadows and is legally blind.
A feeding tube had to be surgically placed into his belly, due to the injury leaving him unable to coordinate swallowing with breathing. Due to this injury Joshua also ended up needing two craniotomies, a ventricular shunt placed into his head (the shunt is a tube with a one way valve, this drains all the reoccurring extra fluid from his head into his bladder) and eventually Joshua needed to have a cranial reconstruction due to his skull caving in.
Joshua’s overall prognosis is grim, doctors predict that he will keep getting ill due to his weak immune system, and will never live beyond his twentieth birthday. No Mother should have to look at her child and know that her days with him are numbered. Joshua was injured on January first 2006; it’s now over five years later and he is almost seven years old. He was recently evaluated to be at about a five month developmental level.
He cannot hold up his own head, sit, stand, walk, eat, talk, or see anything more than shadows. Doctor suspect that Joshua will be frozen at this level and may not develop any farther.
Even though Joshua didn’t die, he was still robbed of his life. He has lost the chance to enjoy playing with his sister and brother. I don’t get to tuck my baby in at night, because he needs 24 hour nursing care. He will never be able to speak, I will never hear him say “I love you mom”. I will never get the chance to see him get graduate, go to his prom, get married, and he will never have the joy of having children. He has also been robbed time for nurturing... I can't play with my baby like other children. I cannot take him places unless it is handicapped accessible. Like special playgrounds, and events geared toward children confined to wheelchairs.
He can not grow up in a loving home; instead he has to grow up with nurses and doctors. Suffering trying to do the simple things, like sitting up, holding up his own head, picking up his arms, trying to hold things...
NO mother should ever have to see her child on life support, evaluate her child’s quality of life, make a decision to sign a Do Not Resuscitate document, or have their child be given last rights for an injury that could have been prevented.
I'm proposing we make "Joshua's Law" a reality. Joshua's Law would make all convicted child abusers become nationally registered. Sex offenders are required to be registered, child abusers should have to do the same. Some convicted child abusers get as little as three years in prison. Then they are free and off to do whatever they want. I believe parents have a right to know, a right to protect their children to the fullest. We should have a right to know who is safe around our children and who is not!
For up to date info on Josh follow him on twitter @JUSTICEforJOSH
Their is currently no law that states child abusers have to be registered. Joshua's Law will require all child abusers to become registered to the public. Please help me make Joshua's Law possible. For our children, and our children's children.
How would you feel if your child was shaken to death and someone came up to you and said "I know how you feel, they shook my baby too".
We as a group must band together to pass this law as soon as possible!
You can further help this campaign by sponsoring it
The Justice for Josh petition to United States Congress was written by Nicole and is in the category Law Reform at GoPetition.