Marcus Simon

Zach spike a fever on Friday of 102.5  . . . fortunately Daddy came home from work and thought that merited a call to the Pediatrician.  The Pediatrician said that was a pretty high fever, but we should keep an eye on him overnight, give him tylenol to reduce his fever, and a cool bath and cold compresses would help too.

We did that and he slept well though the night, but about mid morning on Saturday his fever was back . . . and over 103 this time.  By the time we were seen in the ER, he was up to 104.

Scary stuff.  I remember my parents telling me I got very high fevers (106 one time) as an infant, for no apparent reason.  They always assumed it was something viral.  The treatment then was to put me in a tub of ice.

No Ice for Zachary this time, but they did give him a Tylenol suppository (poor little dude).  They also ran blood and urine tests which don't show any obvious signs of a bacterial infection. His fever got high again last night when we brought him home, but this morning it is close to normal, and it's been about 10 hours since we've given him any medicine.

The crazy thing about taking a baby to the hospital is they do everything the same way they do for adults, but smaller.  Tiny little needles, tiny little IV port, itty bitty pulse monitor.  If it weren't so scary, it would have been cute.  Here are some pictures.

Tot shoots self; dad charged
Web-posted May 27, 2006
Residents say they are saddened, but they're not surprised that accident happened in neighborhood

By STEPHEN FRYE Of The Oakland Press

PONTIAC - Neighbors were saddened but not surprised that a 3-year-old boy shot himself after finding a gun.

The toddler's father, who had three guns, two of them loaded, in the house with his young children faces a felony charge as well as a misdemeanor drug possession charge. Dedric Ducksworth Jr., was in critical condition at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, hospital officials said Friday. The boy was wounded by a gunshot to the head at 9:20 p.m. Thursday inside the family's home at 179 Summit St., on Pontiac's north side. Police believe the shooting was accidental. His father, Dedric Carl Ducksworth Sr., 25, has been charged with second-degree child abuse, a potential four-year felony. "You can't have a loaded gun around children at all," said Deputy Chief Oakland County Prosecutor Deborah Carley. "It seems inevitable that they would get hurt."

The shooting happened in a locked bedroom while the father was having his hair braided in the kitchen, Carley said. Dedric Jr. was with another boy, about 18 months old, in the bedroom.

After hearing the shot, Ducksworth broke down the locked door, finding the boy leaning against the bed with his head bloody.

Pictures and video ----------------

Got together with all their babies