TAMPA, Fla. — A Bay area clinical neuropsychologist who worked with lawmakers on "Jordan’s Law" earlier this year has decided to take matters into his own hands after the law failed to get a vote in the state Senate.
- RELATED: "Jordan's Law" Fails to Get Floor Vote in Florida Senate
- Seminar entitled "Jordan's Law: Bringing Science to Child Safety" coming to St. Pete College
- Seminar will teach law enforcement, child welfare workers how to prevent deaths like Jordan Belliveau's
- If Jordan's Law passed in next legislative session, seminar will become mandatory
Dr. Jim Lewis of Florida Children's Medical Services said Jordan Belliveau's death and the deaths of children like him can be prevented. He plans to educate the people who deal with at risk children — law enforcement, child welfare workers, and court employees — in a seminar coming to St. Pete College called "Jordan’s Law, Bringing Science to Child Safety."
The hard hit on a football field or in a boxing ring is the last thing people want to think of when it comes to children under the age of five. But Lewis says it’s the best way to think about the types of injuries that led to Jordan's death and other similar child deaths.
“Because people who hit a kid in the head don’t do it in ones," Lewis explained. "They get repetitive head injuries like football players, but it’s not being studied in abused children.”
Learning to recognize and respond to cues
Lewis said he's looking to change that. He’s starting his seminar in October.
“I can only do so much myself. The positive news for the community is that people are supporting the heck out of this,” he said. “Instead of Pinellas County, unfortunately, being in the news for this kid died or that kid died and the child welfare system made these mistakes or those, we’re basically going to lead the state with now with this presentation.”
The seminar's ultimate goal is prevention. To accomplish that goal, Lewis will focus on recognition of warning signs.
“They’ll learn things like, if you go to a mobile home and there’s a bedroom that’s contained and no air conditioning and no ventilation, and the children are five or less, you’ve got to get them out. You can’t spend one on night in there,” Lewis said. “We’re going to go one by one, tell them, 'how do you see it? How do you recognize it? What can you do about it? How do you understand it better? How do you prevent it in the future?' That’s the professional education of it. Step two is educating the public.”
Lewis said there are five childhood brain injuries he plans to focus on: head injuries, heat stroke or hypothermia, hypoxia, failure to thrive and fetal drug exposure.
He said these kinds of injuries are often missed, but his three-hour educational training, sponsored by Largo Police, will hopefully help to significantly reduce and prevent another child from dying.
Education could have saved Jordan
After looking into Jordan’s autopsy, Lewis believes if this education had been provided before Jordan’s death, it could have potentially saved the two-year-old’s life.
“They talked about these cuts and healing wounds, healing wounds on his face. Well, healing wound means he got hit in the face. Something was a blow to the face," Lewis explained. "As I said before, when people don’t recognize with concussion for a child under five, it’s so easy — any kind of pop, smack, punch, backhand to the face could concuss the brain.”
Records show Jordan’s mother, Charisse Stinson, told investigators she hit him in the head and his head hit the wall. He then started having seizures until he died.
Stinson is charged with first degree murder in his death. She’s due in court tomorrow morning for a pretrial hearing.
Lawmakers have said they plan to reintroduce "Jordan’s Law" when the next legislative session starts in September. If passed, the seminar Lewis is teaching at St. Pete College will no longer be voluntary — it will be mandatory.