Evelynn's Story
Evelynn Marie Biondo came into this world April 5th, 2007 as a normal, healthy, thriving, 9 pound, 20 inch long baby girl. Evelynn's
Mommy, Alicia Biondo, and Evelynn's father, Joshua Cohen welcomed Evelynn Marie into this world with love. Evelynn's young Mommy
balanced school, work, and raising a newborn toward the end of her sophmore year of high school, along side Joshua who also worked
to help support Evelynn. June 24th, 2007, however, Alicia's world came crashing down. Alicia received a phone call during her evening
shift at work from Joshua describing Evelynn to be making unusual, "funny noises", not typical of her normal newborn sounds. Alicia
asked Joshua to bring Evelynn to her to check her out just two blocks away from where the young family lived. Alicia met Joshua
pushing unresponsive Evelynn on the corner of her job. Evelynn's Mommy immediately noticed this, picked Evelynn up, and repeatedly
called her name trying to get a response from her barely conscious newborn. An ambulance transferred Evelynn to Brookhaven
Memorial Hospital where she was put into the Trauma Room of the Emergency Room. Evelynn was suffering from seizures and at that
point had lost her complete ability to breathe on her own. She was sedated, and intubated, and put on a mechanical ventilator to do the
functions a normal brain should be doing on it's own. Several test revealed bleeding on the brain, brain hemorrhages, seizures, high
temperature, hypothermia, and two-week-old rib fractures, indicative of previous abuse. Evelynn was transferred to Stony Brook
University Hospital and put into their Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. It was there after 3 hours of interrogating that Joshua, matter of
factly, admitted to elbowing his ten-week-old off the bed, kicking her in the head 5 times, and then violently shaking her for 30 seconds.
Two days after being shaken, Evelynn needed to be induced into a coma to give her brain time to heal as her ten-week-old body was
seizing so persistently. No medications were working against the seizure after seizure that Evelynn was suffering from. Ten days later,
Evelynn woke up from the coma, she was extubated off the ventilator and feeding tube. Evelynn spent her first July 4th in a hospital
bed. Then July 6th, 2007, just one day over 3 months old, and 12 days after being shaken and abused, Evelynn came home with 6
doctors and two medications. Two months later, at age 5 months, Evelynn needed two surgeries due to the hydrocephalus which had
come back when spinal fluid came up to her brain and filled the space where the original injury and blood had been, further damaging
and shrinking her brain. Joshua Cohen stayed in Riverhead Jail held on 500,000 bail, One million dollar bond trying everything to
escape what he had done - but it didn't work. With his back against the ropes, Joshua avoided trial and finally pleaded guilty to all 3
charges for 16 years in jail, followed by heavy parole on March 3rd, 2009, a year and a half after committing this crime. Click the
"Media Releases" button above to read the newsday article written after his plea.
Today, Evelynn is soon to turn two years old. Everyday she battles the life-long affects of Shaken Baby Syndrome and Child Abuse.
She has the mentality of a 2-3 month old. She cannot hold her head too well for too long, sit-up unsupported, crawl, walk, talk, and has
limited use of her entire left side. She has to see a neurologist, a neurosurgeon, an ophthalmologist, a retina specialist, and a regular
pediatrician. She also must receive therapy 9 times per week through Early Intervention.
Physical Therapy 3 times per week
Vision Therapy 2 times per week
Occupational therapy 2 times per week
Speech Therapy 2 times per week
Her current medical conditions include:
Epilepsy - Evelynn takes phenobarbital and topamax to control her daily Petit Mal seizures.
Microcephalus- Evelynn's head circumference doesn't grow normally because her brain isn't growing normally.
Hydrocephalus - There will always be spinal fluid pressuring Evelynn's brain which is why she will need 2 VP shunts in her head to
constantly drain this fluid so no more damage is done.
Low Muscle tone especially in the left side
Atrophy in her thumbs
Speech/feeding problems - Evelynn cannot speak, feed herself, or eat foods normal children her age can.
Evelynn is legally blind - She suffered from retinal hemorrhages and nerve damage from the shaking. Although those blood spots have
cleared, the whole pathway from her eyes to her brain is too damaged to regain her vision. There is so cure,surgery, or substitute for
this almost total loss of vision.
Mommy, Alicia Biondo, and Evelynn's father, Joshua Cohen welcomed Evelynn Marie into this world with love. Evelynn's young Mommy
balanced school, work, and raising a newborn toward the end of her sophmore year of high school, along side Joshua who also worked
to help support Evelynn. June 24th, 2007, however, Alicia's world came crashing down. Alicia received a phone call during her evening
shift at work from Joshua describing Evelynn to be making unusual, "funny noises", not typical of her normal newborn sounds. Alicia
asked Joshua to bring Evelynn to her to check her out just two blocks away from where the young family lived. Alicia met Joshua
pushing unresponsive Evelynn on the corner of her job. Evelynn's Mommy immediately noticed this, picked Evelynn up, and repeatedly
called her name trying to get a response from her barely conscious newborn. An ambulance transferred Evelynn to Brookhaven
Memorial Hospital where she was put into the Trauma Room of the Emergency Room. Evelynn was suffering from seizures and at that
point had lost her complete ability to breathe on her own. She was sedated, and intubated, and put on a mechanical ventilator to do the
functions a normal brain should be doing on it's own. Several test revealed bleeding on the brain, brain hemorrhages, seizures, high
temperature, hypothermia, and two-week-old rib fractures, indicative of previous abuse. Evelynn was transferred to Stony Brook
University Hospital and put into their Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. It was there after 3 hours of interrogating that Joshua, matter of
factly, admitted to elbowing his ten-week-old off the bed, kicking her in the head 5 times, and then violently shaking her for 30 seconds.
Two days after being shaken, Evelynn needed to be induced into a coma to give her brain time to heal as her ten-week-old body was
seizing so persistently. No medications were working against the seizure after seizure that Evelynn was suffering from. Ten days later,
Evelynn woke up from the coma, she was extubated off the ventilator and feeding tube. Evelynn spent her first July 4th in a hospital
bed. Then July 6th, 2007, just one day over 3 months old, and 12 days after being shaken and abused, Evelynn came home with 6
doctors and two medications. Two months later, at age 5 months, Evelynn needed two surgeries due to the hydrocephalus which had
come back when spinal fluid came up to her brain and filled the space where the original injury and blood had been, further damaging
and shrinking her brain. Joshua Cohen stayed in Riverhead Jail held on 500,000 bail, One million dollar bond trying everything to
escape what he had done - but it didn't work. With his back against the ropes, Joshua avoided trial and finally pleaded guilty to all 3
charges for 16 years in jail, followed by heavy parole on March 3rd, 2009, a year and a half after committing this crime. Click the
"Media Releases" button above to read the newsday article written after his plea.
Today, Evelynn is soon to turn two years old. Everyday she battles the life-long affects of Shaken Baby Syndrome and Child Abuse.
She has the mentality of a 2-3 month old. She cannot hold her head too well for too long, sit-up unsupported, crawl, walk, talk, and has
limited use of her entire left side. She has to see a neurologist, a neurosurgeon, an ophthalmologist, a retina specialist, and a regular
pediatrician. She also must receive therapy 9 times per week through Early Intervention.
Physical Therapy 3 times per week
Vision Therapy 2 times per week
Occupational therapy 2 times per week
Speech Therapy 2 times per week
Her current medical conditions include:
Epilepsy - Evelynn takes phenobarbital and topamax to control her daily Petit Mal seizures.
Microcephalus- Evelynn's head circumference doesn't grow normally because her brain isn't growing normally.
Hydrocephalus - There will always be spinal fluid pressuring Evelynn's brain which is why she will need 2 VP shunts in her head to
constantly drain this fluid so no more damage is done.
Low Muscle tone especially in the left side
Atrophy in her thumbs
Speech/feeding problems - Evelynn cannot speak, feed herself, or eat foods normal children her age can.
Evelynn is legally blind - She suffered from retinal hemorrhages and nerve damage from the shaking. Although those blood spots have
cleared, the whole pathway from her eyes to her brain is too damaged to regain her vision. There is so cure,surgery, or substitute for
this almost total loss of vision.
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| Evelynn Marie Biondo & Baby Evelynn's Cause Corp. |
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Baby Evelynn's Cause Corp.
The Baby Evelynn's Cause Corp. is a Not For Profit
Corporation. Our goals as a Not For Profit Corporation,
are first to benefit Baby Evelynn who is currently battling
the lifelong effects of Shaken Baby Syndrome and Child
Abuse inflicted by her father at 10-weeks-old. Our goals
also include outreach to other families effected by
Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) and Child Abuse. We also
aim to educate as many people as possible through
lecture and events. We do not profit off of any donations.
Donations are strictly for Baby Evelynn and our other
priorities - protecting our children from Shaken Baby
Syndrome and Child Abuse.
To donate to Baby Evelynn's Cause Corp., please click
"Donate" above.
For any questions, you can send an email to Evelynn's
Team.
The Baby Evelynn's Cause Corp. is a Not For Profit
Corporation. Our goals as a Not For Profit Corporation,
are first to benefit Baby Evelynn who is currently battling
the lifelong effects of Shaken Baby Syndrome and Child
Abuse inflicted by her father at 10-weeks-old. Our goals
also include outreach to other families effected by
Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) and Child Abuse. We also
aim to educate as many people as possible through
lecture and events. We do not profit off of any donations.
Donations are strictly for Baby Evelynn and our other
priorities - protecting our children from Shaken Baby
Syndrome and Child Abuse.
To donate to Baby Evelynn's Cause Corp., please click
"Donate" above.
For any questions, you can send an email to Evelynn's
Team.
Late February 4th, Evelynn was admitted to Stony
Brook University Hospital after a severe seizure.
You can see updates on her
www.myspace.com/chiefguinea.
Thank you all for the prayers.
-Alicia, Evelynn's Mommy
Brook University Hospital after a severe seizure.
You can see updates on her
www.myspace.com/chiefguinea.
Thank you all for the prayers.
-Alicia, Evelynn's Mommy
