Following daycare abuse Scott County couple turns to giving back

SCOTT COUNTY, Minn. (FOX 9) - Six years after their son was abused by a daycare worker, a Scott County couple is turning their trauma into a mission to help others.

On Sept. 14, 2017, Crystal and Brendan McNally’s 6-month-old son was found unresponsive at his Shakopee daycare home. At the hospital, doctors discovered a skull fracture, brain bleeding, retinal hemorrhage, bruising and a broken sternum.

While the now 6-year-old suffers from vision problems and possible learning disabilities as a result of his abuse, the McNally’s consider themselves extremely lucky – which is why they’ve launched a nonprofit to help others.

"It doesn’t have to happen," Crystal McNally told FOX 9. "That’s why we do some education, but it’s also why we want to help others who are walking through this." 

The couple launched Never Shake MN in September – on the six-year anniversary of the abuse – with hopes that victims would have somewhere to turn in their moment of need.

"There was a lot of people who could sympathize with us, but there was no one we knew who had been through it," she said. "We would love to help people that have questions or need advice."

The McNally’s have already contributed financially to victims of Shaken Baby Syndrome, and they have started handing out care packages to metro hospitals for patients and their families.

"You shouldn’t have to worry about gas to go to appointments, or paying for parking passes at the hospital. It’s just a little things that build up… and we can at least help with those little things," said Brendan McNally.

The woman convicted of their son’s abuse, Laurie Ann Gregor, was sentenced to 15 years in prison with the possibility of early release in 2029.