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Thread: Kaleb Schwade, victim of shaken baby syndrome, dies at 4.

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    I'm not very nice. Karalicious's Avatar
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    Kaleb Schwade, victim of shaken baby syndrome, dies at 4.

    http://www.tampabay.com/news/publics...-tampa/1148056

    TAMPA — Baby Kaleb suffered brain damage in May 2007, and his sitter went to jail, accused of violently shaking him.
    His mother, Kristy Schwade, chronicled Kaleb's struggles on MySpace, where her blog captivated thousands. Strangers sent poems and paintings. They bought magnets with a message: Pray for baby Kaleb.
    Kaleb needed prayers, the way he would always need oxygen, nighttime nurses and a wheelchair. Some days, he couldn't see. He had to be fed through a tube.
    Doctors predicted he would die young.
    Still, Monday came suddenly.
    Kaleb, 4, died at Tampa General Hospital after recurring bouts of pneumonia, his mother said.
    "If he hadn't had been shaken," she said, "he would've still been alive."
    • • •
    On May 9, 2007, Schwade left 5-month-old Kaleb with Rebecca Lois Saunders, a woman licensed to provide child care from her home.
    When the parents picked him up, they noticed his breathing was unusual. They took him to the emergency room.
    At Tampa General Hospital, doctors diagnosed Kaleb with bilateral hemorrhaging and told the Schwades their son's hypothalamus had been injured. That's the part of the brain that helps regulate things like temperature, breathing and hunger.
    While doctors tended to Kaleb, detectives turned to Saunders.
    At first she maintained her innocence. Her attorney said Saunders never abused the baby, noting that the precise time of injury could not be established.
    In time, Saunders accepted a plea deal on an aggravated child abuse charge. She served 16 months behind bars.
    • • •
    Even after Kaleb came home from the hospital in September 2007, return trips were common. He regularly came down with pneumonia.
    So it wasn't unusual for him to become sick, as happened last weekend. Saturday night, he was vomiting. On Sunday, the family went to the emergency room, but then he seemed better.
    Monday, Kristy took Kaleb to her parents' home while she ran errands. She called her mother to check on him, and her mom said his cheeks had purple splotches.
    "Purple or blue?" Schwade asked.
    Kaleb's cheeks were often red and sometimes swelled into bluish spots. But when Schwade arrived 10 minutes later, Kaleb's face was turning gray, she said.
    He was running a fever, but his arms and legs were cold.
    His father, 29-year-old firefighter Joshua Schwade, believes Kaleb was going into shock as blood flowed away from his arms and legs to protect vital organs.
    The family called 911.
    At the hospital, doctors gave Kaleb oxygen, and transferred him to the intensive care unit.
    The moment took Kristy Schwade back to that first night after Kaleb was severely shaken.
    Same doctor. Same waiting room.
    By 1 p.m., the news was grim. Kaleb had only hours to live. They could try to prolong his life, but it would be painful for him.
    No one wanted that.
    "So we all got up and said our goodbyes and let him go," Kristy Schwade said.
    • • •
    The Schwades did not report Kaleb's death to authorities.
    They say they are not interested in pursuing more criminal charges against Saunders, the babysitter.
    There would be precedent for a new charge. Christopher Michael Wells, a Pasco father who went to prison for shaking his infant daughter, drew a second sentence when she died at age 19.
    The St. Petersburg Times was unable to reach Saunders, now 39, for comment. She was not at her home Thursday afternoon and did not return a message left there. Her former attorney said he has not been in contact with her for years.
    On Wednesday, the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner's Office began an autopsy on Kaleb but could not immediately determine a cause of death. Further studies will take four to six weeks, said spokesman Dick Bailey.
    The Sheriff's Office plans to investigate, spokesman Larry McKinnon said.
    There's also a civil lawsuit, still unresolved. The Schwade family has sued Saunders and those associated with Hanna's House Family Day Care LLC, which operated in a Northdale home.
    For now, the Schwades say they don't want to think about Saunders. They want to celebrate Kaleb's life on Sunday and then bury him at Joshua Schwade's family plot in Indiana.
    • • •
    Amid all of this, the Schwade family has grown.
    Kaleb is survived by a 2-year-old brother, Kaeson, and an 11-week-old brother, Kanton.
    At Sunday's funeral service, Kristy Schwade plans to tell Kaeson that Kaleb is in heaven, that in heaven there are no feeding tubes, and that Kaleb can now run, play and eat ice cream.
    The church will be filled with roses, lilies and irises. At the end, everyone will release a navy blue balloon, a nod to child abuse prevention.
    The mother, 24, hopes to get a social work degree.
    She wants to share a message, the same one written on a magnetic memorial ribbon stuck on the back of her van:
    "Never shake a baby."
    Times news researcher John Martin and staff writer Alexandra Zayas contributed to this report. Ileana Morales can be reached at imorales@sptimes.com or (813) 226-3386. Jessica Vander Velde can be reached at (813) 226-3433 or jvandervelde@sptimes.com.
    "Since change is constant, you wonder if people crave death because it's the only way they can get anything really finished." -Chuck Palahniuk

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    Senior Member Glitterbomb's Avatar
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    OMG no! I followed The Schwades ordeal for quite a while and still have a Pray for Kaleb bracelet around here somewhere... :(
    Quote Originally Posted by Ron_NYC View Post
    Shut up, dick.

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    How sad for them I would imagine it would take alot of *something, I dunno what* but SOMETHING to not file criminal charges against the woman again since he died.

    While I don't believe she served near enough time for what she did, I thought the other story they talked about was kinda odd. The guy who shook his daughter and she died at 19.

    Is that common to do that? Why not just sentence them to an even longer time instead of throwing themin jail for a little bit and then waiting for the victim to die and THEN going after them again?

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    I'm not very nice. Karalicious's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sarah Underwood View Post
    OMG no! I followed The Schwades ordeal for quite a while and still have a Pray for Kaleb bracelet around here somewhere... :(
    Right? I don't know what made me think of them..but I googled the name to see how he was doing and came upon this :(
    "Since change is constant, you wonder if people crave death because it's the only way they can get anything really finished." -Chuck Palahniuk

    Quote Originally Posted by Nancy Drew View Post
    I love everyone except Amy.
    Quote Originally Posted by yellowCake1 View Post
    Amy's taste > Tara's

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    I'm not very nice. Karalicious's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by White trash bitchy blonde View Post
    How sad for them I would imagine it would take alot of *something, I dunno what* but SOMETHING to not file criminal charges against the woman again since he died.

    While I don't believe she served near enough time for what she did, I thought the other story they talked about was kinda odd. The guy who shook his daughter and she died at 19.

    Is that common to do that? Why not just sentence them to an even longer time instead of throwing themin jail for a little bit and then waiting for the victim to die and THEN going after them again?
    I guess because they don't know for sure if they will die? not sure.
    "Since change is constant, you wonder if people crave death because it's the only way they can get anything really finished." -Chuck Palahniuk

    Quote Originally Posted by Nancy Drew View Post
    I love everyone except Amy.
    Quote Originally Posted by yellowCake1 View Post
    Amy's taste > Tara's

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    Quote Originally Posted by Karalicious View Post
    I guess because they don't know for sure if they will die? not sure.
    Yeah but they could die from anything so I assume that the autopsy is just to prove what he died from. The family said they don't want any further charges but LE was looking into it. Will the authorites still get involved even if the family says no?

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    Unicorns and glitter! HeyyyMan's Avatar
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    This picture is so cute.


    There are a lot of pictures on this page.
    http://www.facebook.com/pages/In-Mem...25590554177970

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    I'm not very nice. Karalicious's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by White trash bitchy blonde View Post
    Yeah but they could die from anything so I assume that the autopsy is just to prove what he died from. The family said they don't want any further charges but LE was looking into it. Will the authorites still get involved even if the family says no?
    Probably? I'm on the fence. I'm guessing that LE could go forward without the Schwades' blessing if it was a criminal charge and not civil.
    "Since change is constant, you wonder if people crave death because it's the only way they can get anything really finished." -Chuck Palahniuk

    Quote Originally Posted by Nancy Drew View Post
    I love everyone except Amy.
    Quote Originally Posted by yellowCake1 View Post
    Amy's taste > Tara's

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    sucks to your ass-mar Nancy Drew's Avatar
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    I had to google- nice and soul-crushing. http://www.tampabay.com/news/courts/...cle1078253.ece
    Quote Originally Posted by bowieluva View Post
    oMG, yeah, no, AMY is in no way superior to Tara. Never.

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    Senior Member Just Me's Avatar
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    I remember when this happend and was friends with the mother on myspace...RIP little Kaleb. You are at peace now

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    Senior Member lostlilgirl's Avatar
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    I must have missed this one.

    I went to his FB page and was looking through the pics, started crying, came to one of him in a little wheelchair and now I am bawling.

    How can people do this to babies/children? It makes me sick.

    RIP Kaleb

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    Senior Member noshame's Avatar
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    the momma looks like a child herself. poor family. i can't even imagine.
    We are each our own devil and we make this world our own hell...Oscar Wilde

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    I'm not very nice. Karalicious's Avatar
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    I think his mom was 21 when he was born.
    "Since change is constant, you wonder if people crave death because it's the only way they can get anything really finished." -Chuck Palahniuk

    Quote Originally Posted by Nancy Drew View Post
    I love everyone except Amy.
    Quote Originally Posted by yellowCake1 View Post
    Amy's taste > Tara's

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    Senior Member noshame's Avatar
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    I've got a friend that looks similar. I think it's the freckles that keep them looking so young.
    We are each our own devil and we make this world our own hell...Oscar Wilde

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    NOT SAME CAT Fleta's Avatar
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    In all of those toddler pictures, only two show a hint of a smile.

    I can understand not pursuing further charges. They've been dealing with the aftermath already for years. To take it to court would only prolong for years more, all in the name of putting her in jail again and longer, and they have two other babies.

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    Senior Member JuvenileTD1's Avatar
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    Back in June of 2010 the mom spoke in court about the ordeal.....video is in the link.
    You will need a few kleenex :(




    http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/dpp/new...-guilty-060310


    In court Thursday, Kristy Schwade read a letter to Saunders (watch video above).

    "I don't need to sit here and say how horrible of a person you are because that is common knowledge," she said, before beginning a tearful description of Kaleb's current condition.

    "Kaleb will never be able to live without medication and round-the-clock care. He cannot see some days and his hearing comes and goes. The only way he can get nutrition is through a hole in his stomach that is hooked to a pump that puts food directly in there. He will never be able to taste ice cream or candy. He will never walk or be able to play on the playground with other kids," Schwade sobbed. "He is stuck in a life that consists of doctors, hospitals, and therapies for as long as he lives. You took nearly all of his brain!"

    After the sentencing, Kristy Schwade and her husband -- who marked their fourth wedding anniversary today -- were a little more upbeat about their son.

    "He's an awesome little boy. He's defied the odds and I'm sure he'll continue to defy the odds. We love him so much," Schwade offered.

    The family admitted that they had hoped to see a longer sentence for Saunders, who would have faced up to 30 years in prison at a trial. But they were still pleased to hear the guilty plea.

    "This is a good step for us because we can finally move on and close this door," Schwade added. "This has been three years and it's nice to be able to take that step and start rebuilding our family."

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    Senior Member Peavey's Avatar
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    I had all but forgotten about this story. It was horrific when I first heard about it and the aftermath is even worse. His poor parents. I can't even imagine. This is every parents worst nightmare. You have to work and you pick what you hope is the best childcare setting that you can afford. Your child being killed in that environment? I just can't even.

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    Captain of Fuckery captainjillian's Avatar
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    Stuff like this is why I don't want anyone to watch my kid. I don't even leave her with my siblings. Wayyyy too many people shake babies. The pictures on that memorial facebook when he went from a normal happy baby to after the incident made me nauseous.
    And I understand not wanting her charged again, but I gotta say if that was my daughter she shook, fuck her, I would be on LE so hard to have her re-charged. Nobody takes my baby from me and then gets to live a normal life after a paltry 16 month sentence.

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    I honestly can never think of one single time when any of my kids were bawling, screaming or anything that would make me want to shake them. It was always instinct to hold them to me and make them feel better, not shake them violently.

    I saw the pics on the FB as well and wonder what made him swell up so much in his last year or so. I noticed his clothing alot. His parents always had him dressed soo cute!

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    I followed this case for years. RIP little one.

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    Aww, I followed this case forever and kept up on myspace until she closed it off because a bunch of bandwagoners decided the she had actually killed the baby and was trying to blame the sitter. So sad :(
    Lurker checking in.

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    Throbbing Member nerysinci's Avatar
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    :( I remember when this first happened, I used to follow the blog. RIP Kaleb.

    I'd have gone after that bitch for everything, but that's just what I THINK I'd do. Hopefully I'm never in that position.

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