Family Tragedy

How do you put a family tragedy like ours into written words? How do you launch it into cyberspace without making it seem like sensationalism? How do you protect the feelings of others while still sharing a life-altering event?
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Time and time again, I've sat down at the computer to attempt to share with my friends across the blogosphere what has happened. Time and time again, I've clicked out of "create post" screen of Blogger, unable to do it. I think I'm ready to share now because:
a) So many of you have expressed such genuine concern for me and my family;b) I'm ready to put myself through this written therapy; and
c) If there is any way, no matter how small, that I could assist in raising awareness to keep this from happening to other families, my time posting on the subject is well spent.
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About a month ago, our grandbaby, Elijah, had a seizure while he was being taken care of by his father, Nathan. He called 911 after the seizure and the paramedics rushed him to the emergency room. Elijah's mother, Hilary, was at work. As soon as Nathan informed her, she called us and rushed to the hospital. On our way to the ER, I called Claire, Elijah's grandmother, to let her know. She immediately made preparations to fly down from Seattle, where she was visiting friends.

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After a CAT scan, it became apparent that Elijah had sustained a subdural hematoma--bleeding between the brain and the skull. Either he had a blood disease, he had fallen, or he had been shaken. We were all in shock; I feared the worst. While a social worker interviewed Elijah's parents, Giancarlo and I waited out in the hall, and remembering Elijah's unexplained broken clavicle from a few weeks previous, I knew that this was no accident. My insides twisted and churned as I told Giancarlo what I knew must be true. He did his best to convince me not to jump to conclusions, but this was just too much of a coincidence for me to overlook..Elijah was later transferred to a hospital with a pediatric intensive care unit in Tarzana. Nathan stayed with him that first night as Hilary had just started a new job that they really needed for their survival, so she went into work to ask for permission to take a few days off.
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What was mild-mannered Nathan thinking about that first night as he watched his 3 month old baby laying in the PICU hooked up to monitors, cords, and tubes? What went through his mind knowing that someone had hurt his child so extensively? Did Nathan sleep that night? Did he insist on holding his little baby boy, or did he let the nursing staff take care of him completely?
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Claire arrived early the next morning. Little did she know how the extent of further medical tests would change her life. Little did she know that she would scarcely step foot out of that little hospital room for five consecutive days. Little did she know that she would eat next to nothing for almost a week because the mere thought of the reality of the situation made her literally choke.