Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) - 1015

Tonight's special guest is Erica Hammel from Michigan, a mother who became an advocate and activist because of the childhood abuse of her young child a year ago. The boy, known as Wyatt The Warrior, nearly died from his injuries, and his mother, Erica, become a voice for victims of child abuse. The toddler was abused when he was just 1 year old (he turned 2 in October, 2014).  Wyatt was physically assaulted (shaken baby syndrome) by the woman Erica's ex husband had left her for. The child suffered a major brain bleed, broken ribs, and permanent brain damage and, and was not expected to live. In fact Erica was told he might never even crawl. But after spending 7 weeks at Children's Hospital he was considered a living, breathing miracle. Wyatt is now walking and has literally beaten all the odds. Erica writes, "His father is not allowed to see him. His father's girlfriend had a criminal history of child abuse that he knew of (I didn't know) and he still left Wyatt alone with her. On the days he was going to work he told me Wyatt stayed with his mom." When criminal proceedings began, Erica had to quit her job because Wyatt needed full care. He currently does some sort of therapy 4xs a week. His main problems are he can't talk and he can't eat solid food. As Erica says it, "The fact that Wyatt's abuser had a previous history of child abuse sickened me." She wondered how someone who is convicted of physically abusing a child wasn't on a register sex offender registry." She concludes, "I had to speak up, I have to make a change. We need to protect our children, especially the ones who don't have a voice."