The heartbreakingly simple but important act toddler who was shaken as a baby can never do

Daily Mail​

29-04-2025

A young toddler has been left unable to speak and has had to undergo extensive surgery after being viciously shaken as a baby.
Maggie Walsh, 4, was just a newborn when she was so badly shaken that she suffered severe brain injuries.
After the incident, a third of her brain was damaged. While she can still walk, run and happily play with other children, she is still non-verbal and is partially blind.
The youngster was adopted two years ago by Pennsylvania couple Dave and Dawna Welsh.
Dave told Fox8: 'We walked in the room, and the first thing was that she smiled at us, and I smiled at her, and I said, "We have this".'
The Walshes kept Maggie for two years in their care before they decided to adopt her officially in 2023.
In dealing with the traumatic injuries to her brain, the youngster has had to undergo 17 surgeries.
Recalling watching the youngster undergo her 12th surgery, Dawna said: 'I turned to [Dave] and I said, "This is more than what we signed on for. What do you want to do?".
'And he said, "I don't think we should give up now." And I agreed.'
Dave added: 'She'll come up to us, her face, right up to her face, right to us, and wants to hug. I mean, that's how she says she loves us.'
The Walshes hope that in the future the toddler will eventually start talking, but they are still unsure.
They told WFMJ that Maggie is undergoing physical therapy and also has a seizure disorder.
She has already defied some medical experts, who told the couple that it would be unlikely she would ever walk.
Dawna added: 'We believe in miracles. There was nowhere for her to go. It was us or another foster home, and we loved her too much.
'If she's ever verbal, I'd like her to be able to say, "This is how it impacted my life." Don't do this to your baby. If you lose your temper, walk away.'
They spoke out to raise awareness of Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS), a serious brain injury caused when a child's head is injured through shaking or violent impact.
There are about 1,300 reported cases of shaken baby syndrome/abusive head trauma in the U.S. each year, according to the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome.
In recent years, there has been debate over the diagnosis, with critics alleging that doctors have focused on concluding child abuse due to shaken baby syndrome whenever a triad of symptoms — bleeding around the brain, brain swelling and bleeding in the eyes — was found.
Critics say doctors have not considered that things like short falls with head impact, and how naturally occurring illnesses like pneumonia can mimic an inflicted head injury.