Dad charged with "unlawful conduct" in near death of infant son (Rock Hill, North Carolina)

Dad MICHAEL CARDUFF is charged with unlawful conduct in the shaking assault of his infant son, who nearly died earlier this year. Though everybody is celebrating the baby's progress, note that after months in hospice care, this baby is still on a feeding tube and can barely raise his head.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/04/03/1353047/abused-baby-not-expected-to-live.html

Abused baby, not expected to live, is recovering
Now 6 months old, Owen Carduff had been in hospice care before beginning to improve.
By Kimberly Dick
kdick@heraldonline.com
Posted: Saturday, Apr. 03, 2010
Courtesy of Charlotte Williams - Baby Owen

ROCK HILL A baby shaken nearly to death earlier this year continues to improve.

Owen Carduff, now 6months old, was removed from life support and taken into hospice care days after his father, 19-year-old Michael Carduff, was charged in his assault.

Today, months after his hospice stay, Owen is recovering. Even the hospice doctor couldn't explain the recovery.

His grandmother, Charlotte Williams, said, "He's doing really well. He has a lot of his movement back. He's kicking, swinging his arms, laughing and giggling."

Owen is one of several area children abused this year whose parents face abuse-related charges. In one of those cases, a Rock Hill baby girl was killed after being injured by her father, police say.
April is National Child Abuse Awareness Month, and Owen's family and area officials urge those in contact with children to look for signs of abuse and neglect.

"The hardest thing is to recognize that there's anything happening, even if it's in your own home," Williams said. "It's good to learn to recognize signs of abuse."

Owen's eyesight, which was something doctors worried about when he was at Levine Children's Hospital in Charlotte a couple of months ago, is returning, Williams said.

He is, however, still struggling to pick up his head and feeding from a tube, she said.

Owen's father, Michael Carduff, is charged with unlawful conduct in the shaking that injured his son. Carduff remains in jail awaiting trial.

For now, Owen is being cared for by a foster family while his mother works with the Department of Social Services, his grandmother said. Owen's mother is taking parenting classes and participating in therapy in hopes of being cleared by DSS to have full custody again.

For National Child Abuse Month, Williams said her family is making blue ribbons to pass out at Family Faith Christian Center in Rock Hill, where her husband is a pastor.

"A lot of the community pitched in and prayed for Owen when he was hospitalized," Williams said. "Our prayer is to get him home and work with him to eat and drink like a normal child."

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