Dad Who Shook His Crying Baby Girl Will Serve 10 Years in Prison

Amy Owensby never thought leaving her baby Cheyenne  to her former husband James Davis Jr. over the weekend would be the biggest mistake she would ever make.

Apparently, Davis, who was Owensby’s high school sweetheart, lost his cool and shook his crying 8-month-old daughter on August 12, 2012. Initially, Davis tried to hide what he did but eventually admitted to the police what happened.

“All that came crashing down. … I snapped. There’s no reason for it. I don’t know why I did it,” Davis said.

Because of Davis’ terrible mistake, Cheyenne’s skull was fractured and her brain started bleeding. The little girl had to undergo a series of surgeries and had half of her brain removed.

Three years since the fateful incident, Cheyenne has almost fully recovered from her surgeries. Though she has some weakness in the right leg, has seizures, and experiences difficulty in some every day things, the tough girl is thriving.

After pleading guilty, Davis was sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by five years of probation.

Shaken Baby Syndrome is tagged as a form of child abuse that can possibly cause permanent brain damage or even death. Mayo Clinic explains that it “destroys a child’s brain cells and prevents his or her brain from getting enough oxygen”.

Mayo Clinic advises:

“Nothing justifies shaking a child. It only takes a few seconds of shaking to cause irreversible brain damage in an infant. If you’re having trouble managing your emotions or the stress of parenthood, seek help. Your child’s doctor may offer a referral to a counselor or other mental health provider.”

8-month-old Cheyenne was shaken by her father when she wouldn’t stop crying.

This terrible mistake forever changed the little girl’s life.

Amy Owensby eventually received a call that shocked her to the core.

She wrote on Facebook: “I got the call that changed my life forever. My sweet baby wasn’t breathing. Her heart had stopped and she was being airlifted to Greenville Memorial.”

Seeing her “lifeless” baby was a shocking experience she would never forget

“I will never get the image of her lifeless body being placed in that helicopter out of my head. I remember holding her hand, giving her kisses outside of the operating room fully believing I would never see her alive again,” Amy said.

James eventually admitted to what he did.

“Right when I got by her bedside — seeing her covered in bandages, IVs everywhere, her leg was black from a blood clot, she was so swollen — my phone rings and it’s the cops saying James confessed to shaking her.”

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