EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14\/CBS4) \u2014 A 17-month-old boy, who suffered severe injuries back in August while in the care of his mother’s partner, continues to face a challenging recovery. <\/p>\n
As KFOX14\/CBS4 has reported, in August, Barraza’s son was seriously injured under the care of Louis Whitson, the mother’s partner, according to documents. <\/p>\n
Whitson took the boy to the hospital after he began having seizures. Court documents state Whitson told investigators the boy hit his head in the tub and noticed he began acting differently. <\/p>\n
Documents also state a CT scan determined the child had a brain bleed, needed a craniotomy, and had a brain bleed. <\/p>\n
Since then, the 17-month-old has had 9 surgeries, with most of them taking place in El Paso, Texas. <\/p>\n
Most recently, Barraza said his son has been receiving medical care in Austin. <\/p>\n
“The way I see things is like in death, that’s certain. You already know there is death. They’ve already passed on,” said Guillermo Barraza, the father of the 17-month-old. “This is completely different from that. Because it’s continuous.”<\/p>\n
Barraza said that his son has lost over 55% of his brain, affecting his ability to speak and communicate, and will be blind for life due to detached retinas and damaged optic nerves.<\/p>\n
Barraza adds that despite the life-altering injuries, his son has been able to make significant progress.<\/p>\n
“He does smile, He has said some broken words, he said ‘mama,’ and he has said ‘dada,” Barraza said.<\/p>\n
Barraza adds, his son has even been able to gain some movement on the left side of his body. <\/p>\n
“When he claps, we’ll say ‘Yeah yeah yeah,’ and he actually uses his good hand, his left hand, and he’ll clap the right even though he can’t really move it.”<\/p>\n
Whitson was arrested and faces a charge of injury to a child. <\/p>\n
Whitson remains in jail, with a settlement conference scheduled for Dec. 10. <\/p>\n
Barraza expressed his determination to seek justice, stating, “Life in prison. I mean, he literally took, you know, my son’s life in essence.”<\/p>\n
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