Support for childhood trauma

(ABC 6 News) – On Christmas morning, two children two and five years old were found inside a Rochester apartment with their mother, who according to court documents was lying on a bedroom floor with a bullet in her head and her head covered in blood.

“Often times time trauma is something where someone experiences something so horrific or there’s so much stress tied to it or danger to self that it them impacts them moving forward,” said Psychotherapy Supervisor at Zumbro Valley Health Center Brittany Vega.

She added even though the children weren’t physically hurt the trauma of the incident can have lasting effects. “So, their ability to process, cope, be able to regulate, reduce significantly and then you think about overall time lifetime health risks up the roof.”

Vega says children 6 and under are more susceptible to experiencing interpersonal violence than any other population. “That then forms this sense of insecurity in relationships that then they carry on forever.”

It’s not clear exactly what the children saw the night of the shooting, but according to the timeline put together by police it’s believed they spent 16 hours inside the apartment after the shooting happened. Their mother unconscious. Court documents show the older child told the officer, “mom was dead.”

“They don’t have to carry it forever. It can be something they experienced. And we like to talk about it for young children. It’s a chapter in your book, but we’re moving through the book. It’s not going to define who you are,” said Vega.

What life will be like for these kids moving forward remains unknown.

Despite 16 hours without medical care the victim is still alive, but in critical condition. It is unknown if she’ll pull through.