Baby KALEB SCHWADE - 5 Months (2007) - Tampa FL

Rebecca Saunders, the woman charged
with shaking a baby she was sitting for in 2007, has changed her
plea in the case to guilty. Saunders previously
pleaded innocent to aggravated child abuse for the brain injuries
then 5-month-old Kaleb Schwade suffered in 2007. The baby was brought to
Saunders' home daycare and later became sick, according to his family.
Saunders has said that the child was already sick when she babysat
for him.

The guilty plea comes as part of an agreement in
exchange for 16 months in prison. Saunders has been in jail since
February of 2009, which may count as time served as it is about the same
amount of time as the sentence the judge laid down. In 2007,
while awaiting trial, Saunders had forfeited her daycare license and was
ordered by a judge to stay away from children -- except for her own --
until the trial. The story of Baby Kaleb has been well circulated
on the Internet, as Kaleb's mother kept an online journal on MySpace
that thousands have read. In court Thursday, Kristy Schwade read a
letter to Saunders. "I
don't need to sit here and say how horrible of a person you are because
that is common knowledge," she said, before beginning a tearful
description of Kaleb's current condition.

"Kaleb will never be
able to live without medication and round-the-clock care. He cannot see
some days and his hearing comes and goes. The only way he can get
nutrition is through a hole in his stomach that is hooked to a pump that
puts food directly in there. He will never be able to taste ice cream
or candy. He will never walk or be able to play on the playground with
other kids," Schwade sobbed. "He is stuck in a life that consists of
doctors, hospitals, and therapies for as long as he lives. You took
nearly all of his brain!" After the sentencing, Kristy Schwade
and her husband -- who marked their fourth wedding anniversary today --
were a little more upbeat about their son. "He's an awesome
little boy. He's defied the odds and I'm sure he'll continue to defy the
odds. We love him so much," Schwade offered.
The family
admitted that they had hoped to see a longer sentence for Saunders, who
would have faced up to 30 years in prison at a trial. But they were
still pleased to hear the guilty plea. "This is a good step for
us because we can finally move on and close this door," Schwade added.
"This has been three years and it's nice to be able to take that step
and start rebuilding our family."