As a member of Myspace, everyone receives bulletins with the latest news of what's happening in our worlds.  They educate, enlighten, make us think, laugh and cry.  The other day I got a bulletin that touched my heart like no other.  It has moved me to write this blog and I hope it will move you into a state of hope and helpfulness.

The subject was – Please pray for Kaleb.
I thought, oh no here we go again – someone was in an accident and needs to be prayed for.  Since I do believe in positive thinking, I opened the bulletin and this is what I read:
Kristy Reynolds and her husband are parents to a beautiful little baby boy named Kaleb. He is 6 months and 3 days old. A couple weeks ago Kristy picked Kaleb up from home care and noticed something was wrong. She immediately took him to the hospital where he was diagnosed with Shaken Baby Syndrome. He now has meningitis in response to the surgeries on his brain, his body can't regulate his temperature, his heart rate drops every time he is moved, and he has seizures. He is also blind. His sitter shook him so hard that he is in a coma, had to have spinal fluid drained from his brain, and doctors think that if he lives he will be a vegetable for the rest of his life. Brain scans show that his brain tissue is dying and his brain is shrinking. Kristy and her husband refuse this diagnosis and pray for their little boy. I'm asking you to join them in this prayer for Kaleb.

I then went to their Myspace site – www.myspace.com/kristyreynolds and was never so touched!  There was this 21 year old mother in her first year of marriage, going through hell!!  I think this has touched me so deeply because I as a disabled mother, I know both sides of this story all too well.  I know what living with a disability is like.  Kaleb is now blind because someone could not control them self!  I know what it's like to carry a child for nine months hoping the child will be healthy.  I now hope my child will stay healthy the rest of his life.

I can not begin to imagine what I would feel if one day my child looked like this:

And then a few hours later like this:

If this has moved you to a state of hope and helpfulness as it has me, there are some things you can do:

If you believe in the power of prayer – pray!
If you believe in the power of positive thinking – keep this family in your thoughts!
If you have Kristy as a friend put her site in your top ten to make others aware.
If you know how – place the below banner on your page to spread the word.
If you've ever had lawyer's fees, medical expenses, and other related expenses, you know they need financial support.

If you can afford to give something - Please donate to the Help Kaleb Fund.

Make checks payable to Kristy Schwade,
PO Box 291494

TAMPA, FL 33687-1494

The Help Kaleb Fund is with the Bank of America
Routing : 540590106
Account : 229000485134
Donations to your local Shaken Baby Organization in Kaleb's name is encouraged by the family. Education is the key to stopping this tragedy for other families.

You can also donate by credit card via PayPal to helpkaleb@hotmail.com (Go to http://www.paypal.com, send money, type helpkaleb@hotmail.com in the section "to".

This story is as real as a story can be!  Here are some links that verify their story:

http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/medical/kalebschwade.asp
http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2007/5/15/249688.html

http://www.tboblogs.com/index.php/newswire/story/day-care-worker-arrested

http://forums.swedespeed.com/zerothread?cmd=print&id=79921

http://www.myspace.com/helpkaleb