Survivor Stories: Friends Raising Awareness of SBS/AHT

The NCSBS is benefiting from the fundraising creativity of a musical friend of a victim of SBS/AHT, a survivor of SBS/AHT turned athlete, and two mothers of a victim with an online streaming following. Read their stories below.

More Like Denver: Music, Hope, and Resilience

Allan Peterson is a country music recording artist and friend of Denver Burt, a victim of SBS/AHT. Denver is the inspiration for Peterson’s 2025 single “More Like Denver,” a song that not only celebrates Denver’s beautiful outlook and impact on life but also features Denver on tambourine and backup vocals.

Peterson encouraged donations to the NCSBS and, prior to releasing the single, offered donors a free digital download of the song before the song was made available to the general public. You can find the song anywhere you get your music or on Peterson’s website: https://allanpeterson.com.

A bonus opportunity is available to those who will be attending the Twentieth International Conference on Shaken Baby Syndrome/Abusive Head Trauma in Nashville this September, as Peterson and Denver are planning to be there and perform the song live during the Family Networking Dinner. We can’t wait to hear the song live!

From Survivor to IRONMAN: Lucas Mattix’s Inspiring Journey

When Lucas Mattix was shaken at six weeks of age, he needed immediate surgery to stop hemorrhaging in his brain and eyes. The years that followed included CAT scans and regular check-ups to confirm his recovery from these devastating injuries. Twenty-six years later, Mattix plans to become the first known survivor of SBS/AHT to complete an IRONMAN ® Triathlon.

Mattix is chronicling his year-long training for the IRONMAN ® on his social media channels and is using his platform to not only spread awareness about SBS/AHT but to raise money he plans to donate to the NCSBS and other organizations that work to prevent SBS/AHT.

For those who have been following this story, Mattix recently completed the Half IRONMAN ® 70.3 as part of his training, and on October 18, 2026, plans to finish the dream and complete the full IRONMAN ® 140.6 in California.

Follow Mattix’s inspirational journey on his social media channels on Instagram (/lucasmattix), Facebook (/lucas.mattix) and on YouTube (/@lucasmattix).

Brandon’s Birthday Livestream Raised Hope for Families

On a rainy afternoon in March, while sitting at my desk at the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome, I received a phone call from a woman named Tammy. She was calling to ask about hosting a fundraiser for her son’s birthday. Calls like these are always meaningful to us, and I began preparing to share some of the usual fundraising ideas and resources.

But then her voice began to tremble. A few quiet seconds passed before she softly said, “After all this time, this is still hard.”

Tammy went on to share that she and her wife, Chrissy, have spent the past 23 years caring for their son Brandon after he was violently shaken by a babysitter when he was only eleven months old. She explained that his injuries caused a massive brain bleed, causing severe brain damage and partial blindness. Today, Brandon lives with seizures and severe developmental delays and experiences the world with the innocence of a two-year-old.

As Tammy spoke, it was impossible not to hear both the heartbreak and the fierce love that had carried their family through more than two decades of challenges. Yet what stood out most was not bitterness or anger, but the determination to turn their experience and this fundraising event into something to support other families.

Tammy and Chrissy explained that they own a Coins & Bullion business “Fun with TamnnChilly” (@Tammy5299) that streams on WhatNot.com with a loyal online following. Their idea was to livestream and fundraise on Brandon’s birthday “to remind everyone that his life reminds us every day why education, awareness, and prevention matter.”

At the NCSBS, we often say prevention begins with education, but stories like Brandon’s remind us that prevention also begins with people who are willing to share their hearts, their experiences, and their hope with others. We are deeply grateful to Tammy, Chrissy, Brandon, and their community for raising $6,048 to support NCSBS programs, and making this event such a meaningful birthday for Brandon.

-Catherine Green, Development Director at the NCSBS