First of all I want to say that  I am glad that Apple had the decency to pull their app for the Shaken Baby game.  However, it is a game that should never have been made, in my opinion.

This game is horrible, and the creators of it are a little twisted.  The game shows a cute little baby who starts to scream and cry and the only way to stop the baby from crying is to shake the phone until the red X's show in the baby's eyes.  After, you quiet the baby the game says never "Shake a Baby". 

Now, I am sure in some twisted way the creators of this game and people at Apple who approved the app thought they were promoting a good cause.  Show people how hard or how little you have to shake a baby before you seriously hurt it or even kill it.  But, Apple there are better ways to get a message across.  This isn't the way.

As a Substitute Teacher, I work with a little girl who was a victim of Shaken Baby at the age of 11 weeks.  I have had the privilege of working with her off and on for the last 3 years, and have marveled at her improvement through the years.  She is now 5 and going to Kindergarten next year.  She has moxie and personality and is a very pretty little girl.  However.....

This is where the story gets sad.  You see, she suffered severe brain damage as result of being shaken at the age of 11 weeks.  Some of the physical effects that she and her family have to deal with on a daily basis are:  Seizures (these are new this year), a partially paralyzed hand, wearing diapers, still needs to be fed like a toddler, still learning to talk, and when she  gets tired she still crawls.  Believe it or not this little girl has come a long way from last year.  But the sad thing is she will never get better.  She will need constant care for the rest of her life. 

Her parents or family will never see her go to the prom, have her first date, get married, have children or lead a normal life.  They will forever have to live with the thought of what her life may have been like if someone hadn't shaken her and took her life from her and from them.  And the thought that someone, felt it would be a good game to shake a baby until the red X's appear in their eyes was appropriate fills me with great distaste.  They need to see or work with one of these children who had their lives ripped out from them before they could even hold their heads up. 

Shame Shame Shame on you Apple. 

Lindy