FrankenBrute:
a labor of Love to help a Son
Misty Crice
When Liam was 7 months old he arrived at the hospital in an ambulance just before
noon, in mid December 2011. His skin had turned blue, and eyes were swollen shut.
After doing many test one of the head doctors showed Greg and his wife Jennifer
Liam’s CT scan which showed massive bleeding in his brain. They were informed that
he had retinal hemorrhaging along with brain hemorrhaging, and that the next 24
hours would be very critical. For the next several hours, he
would undergo many more tests, and a surgery to place a
pressure monitor inside his brain. Liam was on a ventilator
and placed into a medically induced coma to help prevent
further damage to his brain. One of the neurosurgeons in the
hospital informed the Hendersons that his diagnosis was a
severe traumatic brain injury (T.B.I.) .Liam was released weeks
later from the hospital, now blind and paralyzed on the left
side of his body. Liam had lost everything that he had learned
up until that day that he was admitted to the hospital. Liam
had to relearn everything such as how to eat, how to drink
from a bottle, how to hold his head up. He had even lost the
simplest tasks like sucking on pacifier. Liam was basically a
newborn again, just this time with very severe disabilities.
The doctors even told the Henderson’s “Do not expect him to
improve, he may never get any better.” Refusing to give up in
“it is, what it is.” situation they began searching for the top
specialists in our state. Liam seen more doctors then he could
count, and every one of them, along with all of his wonderful
therapists, have done their part in helping Liam get better.
After countless doctors visits and therapy sessions Liam’s vision has mostly returned, even though he has to wear a patch
and glasses now. Liam also has been working really hard to
retrain himself how to use his left side.
His injury was caused by
a caretaker shaking him
(shaken baby syndrome)
6
W T4x4
Due to the extent of his injury the neurologist told Greg, Jennifer,
and Liam that he will never be able to play sports or do any other
activity where he might fall down or take a hit to the head. Liam
can’t partake in any activities which might include any rapid acceleration or deceleration to his brain. So this means no bounce
houses, trampolines or roller coasters for me as he gets older as
any of these things could land Liam back in the hospital or worse. They won’t
know for many years how badly Liam’s cognitive ability was affected, or how much
he will be able to recover, but neither Greg nor Jennifer will ever s ѽ