Piersen Eaker: A Life Forever Changed in Child Care
Piersen Eaker was just 23 months old when his life changed forever. On February 14, 2014, his parents, Tim and Candis Eaker, dropped Piersen and his younger brother off at a licensed home daycare in Charleston, Illinois. Before that day, Piersen was an energetic toddler who walked, talked, loved music, watched movies, and filled his family’s home with the normal activity of a little boy.
Later that morning, his parents received a call that every parent fears. Piersen was not breathing.
He was taken to a local hospital and then transferred to a trauma center for emergency care. His family initially hoped the crisis would pass quickly. Instead, they learned that Piersen had suffered a severe traumatic brain injury and might not survive. Medical professionals later determined that his injuries were consistent with Shaken Baby Syndrome, also known as abusive head trauma. Piersen survived, but the injuries permanently changed nearly every part of his life.
Months of Hospitals and Rehabilitation
Piersen did not return home quickly. His family spent roughly 200 days with him in hospitals and rehabilitation facilities as he received treatment, therapy, and specialized medical care.
When he finally came home, he was no longer the same physically independent toddler his parents had dropped off at daycare. He now needed significant assistance with daily life.
The family had to learn a completely new way of caring for their son.
Life Today
Piersen requires around-the-clock care. He has a tracheostomy and a feeding tube and uses a wheelchair for mobility. His daily routine has included respiratory treatments and equipment designed to help manage muscle stiffness and seizures. He also uses eye-gaze communication technology that allows him to make choices and express himself by looking at words, pictures, and commands on a screen.
That technology gives Piersen another way to communicate what he wants to wear, what he wants to hear, and what he thinks about what is happening around him. His medical needs are significant, but they do not define his personality. Piersen is expressive, funny, observant, and very capable of showing people what he likes and what he does not. He enjoys fireworks, splash pads, amusement rides, music, and time with his family. One of his favorite songs is Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” His smile and facial expressions have become an important part of the way he communicates with the people who know him best.
A Brother’s Bond
Piersen’s younger brother, Lincoln, has grown up knowing Piersen as he is today. Their relationship has become an important part of family life. Lincoln talks to him, plays with him, helps make him laugh, and has grown beside him through the many changes their family has experienced. That bond is one of the reminders that Piersen’s life is much bigger than his diagnosis or his injuries.
Years of Medical Challenges
Piersen’s journey has included repeated hospital stays, procedures, and major surgeries. One of the most significant procedures mentioned publicly was spinal fusion surgery involving rods and multiple screws to help support his body and keep him upright. As he has grown older and larger, his care has become more physically demanding. His wheelchair has grown with him. His equipment takes up more space. Moving him safely has become more difficult for family members and nurses. At one point, the layout of his father’s home made it difficult for Piersen’s wheelchair to reach his bedroom and bathroom because of narrow hallways and tight turns. As a result, the family began planning a major accessible addition designed around Piersen’s needs.
Building a Space for Piersen
The planned addition was intended to give Piersen a bedroom, accessible bathroom, therapy area, storage space, and a ceiling-track lift system that would make transfers safer. It was also designed to give him something every teenager deserves: more comfort, privacy, and independence within his own home.
The project was estimated to cost about $200,000, and the family began raising money to help make the space possible. For the Eaker family, the project represented much more than construction.
It was about preparing for Piersen’s future.
A Family That Chose to Keep Moving Forward
Piersen’s parents made a deliberate decision early in his recovery to focus on what remained possible.
That did not erase the pain, uncertainty, stress, or exhaustion that came with his condition. Over the years, the family faced difficult medical decisions, repeated hospitalizations, changing care needs, and the reality that Piersen would need lifelong support. Tim and Candis later divorced, but they continued living near one another and sharing responsibility for Piersen and Lincoln. Their family structure changed, but their commitment to caring for their sons remained.
The Criminal Case
The woman who operated the daycare where Piersen was injured was charged in connection with his injuries. During the criminal trial, medical experts testified about the seriousness of Piersen’s condition and challenged the explanation that his injuries resulted from an ordinary fall. The jury ultimately returned a not guilty verdict because the prosecution had not proven the criminal charge beyond a reasonable doubt. That verdict did not mean Piersen was not badly injured. It meant the jurors were not certain enough, under the high standard required in a criminal case, that the defendant had been proven responsible for causing those injuries. For the Eaker family, the verdict left painful questions unanswered.
More Than a Tragedy
Piersen’s story should not be reduced to what happened to him in a daycare. He survived.
He grew. He developed his own ways of communicating. He formed strong relationships with the people around him. He continued to enjoy music, laughter, family, and the experiences that bring him joy.
More than a decade after his injury, Piersen remains a child whose life has meaning, personality, dignity, and value.
Why Piersen’s Story Matters
The Anthony DeJuan Boatwright Foundation shares Piersen’s story because it shows how quickly a family’s life can change when a child is harmed while entrusted to someone else’s care. His story reinforces the need for strong supervision, transparency, accountability, meaningful safety standards, and informed parents. A license alone cannot guarantee that a child will be safe. Parents need access to information. Caregivers need to understand the responsibility they carry. Childcare providers must be held to high standards. And when a child cannot speak for himself, adults must be willing to ask questions, investigate concerns, and advocate on that child’s behalf. Piersen survived, and his story deserves to be told as a story of both loss and resilience.
Protect Childhood. Preserve Their Future.
Sources and Further Reading
Tri States Public Radio
“Ten Years After a Traumatic Brain Injury, Piersen Eaker Needs a New Space”
https://www.tspr.org/tspr-local/2024-05-31/ten-years-after-a-traumatic-brain-injury-piersen-eaker-needs-a-new-space
Mattea’s Joy
“Keeping the Faith, Living in the Moment, and Growing #PiersenStrong with Tim Eaker”
https://www.matteasjoy.org/tim-eaker/
Piersen Strong
https://piersenstrong.org/
Piersen Strong on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/piersenstrong/
Support Piersen’s Accessible Living Space
https://www.gofundme.com/f/creating-piersens-special-space-together
