Wyatt has endured [four] brain surgeries and [two] eye surgeries since he has been shaken. Not to mention the countless doctor’s appointments, pokes, tests, and outpatient physical, speech, and occupational therapies. He is blind in his left eye permanently, developmentally delayed, slightly cognitively impaired, and suffers from seizures. But he is alive and happy. He is my miracle boy. And I definitely wasn’t going to let what happen to him, happen to another child. That is what made me create Wyatt’s Law.
Courtesy of Erica Hammel
Introducing Wyatt’s Law
After doing some research back in 2014, I had found out that no state in the country had a public child abuser registry. It boggled my mind. I knew if this existed when I was going through my divorce, Wyatt could have been protected. So I started an online petition. Once I got 500 signatures, I started writing my local legislators, and the rest, as they say, is history. In October of 2015 the first set of bills of ‘Wyatt’s Law’ were introduced into the Michigan Legislature.
The Impact of Wyatt’s Law on Child Protection
I’m so proud to say Michigan was the very FIRST state in the nation to introduce this type of legislation. Wyatt’s Law would create a public registry for those CONVICTED of abusing a child physically.
Overcoming Challenges: The Battle for Wyatt’s Law
Unfortunately, politics have gotten in the way of Wyatt’s Law’s passing. So we introduced bills again in 2017. This past December, the bills passed the Michigan Senate unanimously. Such a huge victory. It was lame duck though, and we couldn’t get it done on the House side. We are about to introduce the bills of Wyatt’s Law again, for the third time in the next few weeks. I will not give up until this passes. Every time someone tells me ‘no’ or ‘you’ll never make that happen’ it just drives me to push even harder.
