Parents of Baby Shaken by Sitter Talk About Infant's Progress
By: Morgan Bond
Updated: January 17, 2012
Jennifer Westbrook noticed something wasn't right when she was feeding her infant son Austin over the weekend.
"It's kind of subtle. It lasts one to two seconds, then he's start crying again. He will do that four of five times in a row," Jennifer said.
She was able to catch one of the spasms on video and sent it to her doctor.
"We emailed it to our neurologist. He said it looks like infantile spasms," Jennifer said.
Jennifer says it's one of the most damaging seizures a baby can have.
"It fires off so many times that the brain doesn't have time to recover. It was a direct result for him being shaken, " Jennifer said.
They rushed Austin to Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth, where he was given medication to help prevent the spasms. It costs $20,000 a vial and the Westbrooks will need two.
"We are definitely in 'taking things one day at a time' mode," Jennifer said.
Jennifer says she has faith that Austin will make a full recovery, because he is a fighter.
"He has overcome multiple things everyday, that he shouldn't have. He shouldn't be alive," Jennifer said.
Kara Galinak, the babysitter accused of shaking Austin, was indicted earlier this month on charges of injury to a child. She admitted to investigators to shaking the baby while caring for him last September.
An account has been set up at Teacher's Federal Credit Union. Call 325-677-2274 to make a donation to assist the Westbrook family.
"It's kind of subtle. It lasts one to two seconds, then he's start crying again. He will do that four of five times in a row," Jennifer said.
She was able to catch one of the spasms on video and sent it to her doctor.
"We emailed it to our neurologist. He said it looks like infantile spasms," Jennifer said.
Jennifer says it's one of the most damaging seizures a baby can have.
"It fires off so many times that the brain doesn't have time to recover. It was a direct result for him being shaken, " Jennifer said.
They rushed Austin to Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth, where he was given medication to help prevent the spasms. It costs $20,000 a vial and the Westbrooks will need two.
"We are definitely in 'taking things one day at a time' mode," Jennifer said.
Jennifer says she has faith that Austin will make a full recovery, because he is a fighter.
"He has overcome multiple things everyday, that he shouldn't have. He shouldn't be alive," Jennifer said.
Kara Galinak, the babysitter accused of shaking Austin, was indicted earlier this month on charges of injury to a child. She admitted to investigators to shaking the baby while caring for him last September.
An account has been set up at Teacher's Federal Credit Union. Call 325-677-2274 to make a donation to assist the Westbrook family.
