EVALEE JOHNSEN - 3 Months (2010) - Bellevue NE

A 26-year-old home day care provider is out on bond after allegations of critically
injuring a baby in her care last Thursday.
Pamela Johnson is charged with first-degree assault and child abuse. A Sarpy
County judge set bond at $200,000 on Wednesday. She needed 10 percent
or $20,000 to get out of jail until her preliminary hearing next month.

Three-month-old Evalee Johnsen is recovering at Children’s Hospital. Her father, a
combat engineer in the Air National Guard, had been in Afghanistan
since her birth. Jason Johnsen was set to return home next month, but
he took emergency leave, arriving back in Omaha on Sunday.


"You know you just want to take care of business there so you can get home
to take care of your wife and kids. And to get a call like that, it's
definitely heart-wrenching." The call, that his daughter was badly hurt.
Bellevue Police say at the time, Evalee was in Johnson’s care. She reported
dropping the baby on the carpet and that the baby had stopped breathing.
A detective told Channel 6 News Johnson's first call was to a neighbor.
He said the neighbor came over and began performing CPR, telling Johnson to call 911.
When officers arrived, they say Evalee was breathing. However, investigators
say the baby’s critical injuries were not consistent with being
dropped. Johnson was arrested Saturday, following an interview with police.
"This is an alleged case of shaken baby,” said a prosecutor in court Wednesday. “The
allegations are that there was bleeding... on the skull."
Evalee’s parents don’t want to talk about the case itself, but instead want to
focus on their baby girl. "It's so hard,” said mother Robin Johnsen.
“She's such a smiley girl and she was starting to laugh and..." Words
are hard to come by for Evalee’s mother. But the girl's father found
just the right words Tuesday night. "I just told her that I'd go to the
end of the earth to protect her and you know, be there for her and she
just gave me a big smile."
Evalee made it through a high-risk pregnancy and she and Jason believe she
will make it through this, too. Her condition has improved since she was hospitalized.
"She's definitely our miracle baby,” said Robin. “She's gonna do big things some day. She's a fighter."
A fund has been set up to help the family with the financial strain of
their daughter’s hospitalization. Donations are being taken at all
Metro Credit Union locations under the name “Evalee Johnsen.”
The Hadley family knows the Johnsen’s pain well. They received a call from
their daycare provider 14 years ago saying their son Rain would not
wake up. "They did some testing, did a retinal scan and found blood in
the retinas of his eyes and that's when they knew he had been shaken,"
says mother Natalie Hadley.
Rain today has severe handicaps, but the Hadleys have turned his story into
a mission to help others by starting a support group. "Most people tell
us it's helpful, it's helpful just to talk to someone who's been
through a similar situation. I find it helpful to talk about what
happened to us. It's something you never get over."
The Hadleys also raise awareness about Shaken Baby Syndrome, talking to
high school students, Cub Scouts and any group that will listen. If
you'd like more information about the Shaken Baby Support Group, you can call (402) 332-4429.

A baby sitter charged in the abuse of a 3-month-old girl said she didn't injure
the child.
In Sarpy County Court on Monday, 26-year-old Pamela Johnson pleaded not
guilty to charges of first-degree assault and intentional child abuse.
Johnson is accused of shaking Evalee Johnson in February.
Johnson told authorities that the girl fell and wasn't breathing when
Johnson dialed 911. The girl continues to recover from brain injuries.
Johnson is scheduled to go back to court next month.

again why was this woman given a bond i just dont get it it baffles me

A babysitter accused of seriously hurting a little girl has pleaded no contest to reduced charges.
Pamela Johnson was originally charged with first
degree assault and intentional child abuse resulting in serious bodily
injury. Those charges were dropped in exchange for Johnson's no contest
plea to intentional child abuse not resulting in serious bodily injury.
Johnson initially told police she dropped Evalee
Johnson, who is no relation, back in February; however, doctors say
Evalee's injuries are not consistent with a fall.
Evalee is back home, but still
undergoing treatment. Doctors have said the extent of her injuries will
not be known until she starts walking and talking.
When Johnson is sentenced on October 17th, she faces
up to five years behind bars; however, she could also be sentenced to probation.

http://www.wowt.com/news/headlines/Babysitter_Takes_Plea_Deal_In_Abuse_Case.html?ref=028

A toddler injured by a day care provider struggles every day to master the motor skills other children take for granted.

Evalee
Johnsen, who will be 2 years old on Nov. 16, receives physical therapy
four times a week to help her recover from shaken-baby syndrome. Her
parents, Jason and Robin Johnsen of Bellevue, said their daughter is
able to walk but falls more than a child her age should.

“She
should be walking on her own but still falls a little bit and needs
help,'' Robin Johnsen said. “Our daughter was in a coma. She has
injuries that could follow her for the rest of her life.''

The
woman responsible for the toddler's injuries, Pamela A. Johnson, 28, of
Bellevue, was sentenced Monday to 1½ to four years in prison after
pleading no contest in Sarpy County District Court to felony child abuse
not resulting in serious bodily injury.

She faced a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

Johnson
accepted a plea agreement to avoid charges of first-degree assault and
child abuse resulting in serious injury. Defense attorney Don Schense
pointed out that his client, who is pregnant, has no previous criminal
record and asked that she be given probation.

Judge David K.
Arterburn said probation was not an option. Medical evidence did not
support Johnson's claim that she accidentally dropped the child, the
judge said, and several doctors testified that the injuries most likely
occurred by having been shaken.

Arterburn also noted that the
child showed none of the normal bruising that could be expected from
having been dropped. He said one of the reasons that he handed down a
prison sentence was to deter others from abusing children.

“This
is the type of offense where there was no margin for error,'' Arterburn
said. “It's troubling that (Johnson) has kept to her story of an
accident and lacks acceptance of responsibility.''

Police said
Johnson shook the infant while baby-sitting in February 2010. Johnson,
who did not have a day care provider license, told paramedics that she
accidentally dropped the child while on stairs in her home.
Jason Johnsen said he was pleased by the sentence and glad to finally have the case resolved.

Evalee's coming birthday will be a chance for her family to celebrate and plan her future, he said.

“It's
been a very long process dealing with this emotionally and
physically,'' the father said. “We can take the anger we've felt and
turn it into a positive to make (Evalee's) life better.''
http://www.omaha.com/article/20111107/NEWS97/711079847/1009

Sentenced last November to at least 18 months in prison for injuring a
child, a Bellevue woman was granted parole on Thursday. Pamela Johnson
will be released August 1st.


She was convicted of felony child abuse. The child she
hurt while babysitting, 3-month-old Evalee Johnsen, suffered permanent
injuries as a result.


Johnson, who is not related to the girl, claimed that she
dropped Evalee. Investigators said the injuries were consistent with
being shaken.
http://www.wowt.com/news/headlines/Convicted_Of_Felony_Child_Abuse_Babysitter_Paroled_After_Eight_Months__163088666.html?ref=666

This makes me sick. I wonder what happened to the baby she was pregnant with. what happens when she can't handle the stress of that baby and she shakes that one too?

Congratulations to Ging on her 100th post!

LOL thanks.