Chapel Hill Daycare Operator Sued for Infant’s Traumatic Brain Injury
In Durham County, the parents of a 7-month-old infant are suing Chapel Hill daycare operator Cheryl McAdoo Alston for his permanent traumatic brain injury. The North Carolina injuries to minor complaint accuses Alston of injuring the baby, who was attending Cheryl’s Infant and Toddler Preschool, and neglecting to get him medical care in a timely manner after she allegedly hurt him. The child’s parents are seeking over $10,000 in damages for their son’s personal injury.
A North Carolina traumatic brain injury lawsuit is not the only legal woe that Alston is facing. She was arrested last week for allegedly shaking the infant so violently that now, more than two months after sustaining the head injury, he is still under close observation at UNC Hospital’s neonatal unit. The boy’s parents say that he is impaired for life, and it is too soon to tell whether he will be able to walk or talk normally.
Alston, who has spent most of her life taking care of babies, has lost her license to run her at-home day care, and an Orange County, North Carolina judge has ordered the 53-year-old woman to stay away from kids.
Alston claims that after returning from washing her hands, the baby, who was in a car seat, would not respond to her. She says that when she grabbed him out of the seat, his head fell back when she tried to press him into her shoulder. The infant’s father arrived at the day care center at this time.
Alston maintains that she would never hurt a child. However, this is not the first time that social workers have questioned the care that she provides at her day care center.
In April 2008, North Carolina investigators interviewed Alston about another child under her charge who also sustained injuries. The child’s guardian was worried that Alston had failed to properly supervise the boy and that another child might have fallen on him.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are usually caused by a jolt or blow to the head or an injury that is penetrating enough that the brain’s functioning is disrupted. Depending on the severity of the TBI, the injury can be mild, resulting in temporary impairment, or severe, resulting in permanent or fatal brain injuries.
Daycare operator sued over abuse, ABC Local, July 21, 2009
Day care operator charged with injuring baby, NewsObserver.com, July 22, 2009
Related Web Resources:
Traumatic Brain Injury, CDC
Abusive Head Trauma, KidsHealth.org
