“Recession linked to increase in shaken baby syndrome.” I read this article today, and my heart sank. It was only a couple of weeks ago that I was speaking at a church, describing the reasons that Hope Harbor was adding services designed to prevent abuse and neglect and to reach outside of our walls and becme involved early with children and families who are stuggling. I had described the lasting effects of child abuse and neglect, and spoken about how times of economic downturn lead to increased abuse and neglect. After I spoke, a wonderful couple introduced me to their son; a beautiful, but severely impaired young man. . . who was shaken as an infant. In a few seconds in the infancy of this beautiful boy, his entire life was changed. Reading this article today, which described an alarming recent increase in shaken baby syndrome, brought back this wonderful young man’s face, and a flood of thoughts of all the others who will endure far too much if we don’t all find ways to intervene.
Ralph Richardson
Executive Director, Hope Harbor