WADDELL, AZ — Doctors said he wouldn't survive long. His mother was told she had to make a decision about ending her infant son's life, but all these years later, she and the rest of Isaiah Cosme's family are watching as he walks across the stage of a huge auditorium to receive his high school diploma.
"He wasn't supposed to do anything. He wasn't supposed to walk, he wasn't supposed to talk," his mother, Candie said. But, this year, Isaiah exceeded everyone's expectations and graduated from Canyon View High School.
It's been a long road to get to this point.
Isaiah is a Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) survivor.
"He was shaken by a babysitter," Candie explained. "We dropped him off. I went to work. I got a call that he was not breathing. So I had thought he was choking. So me and his dad rushed to one of the hospitals and then we got there he... seemed like he was struggling."
Doctors told Candie the outlook didn't look good. Many SBS patients suffer severe brain damage, seizures, abnormal breathing, or even die from their injuries. But, Isaiah was strong and he survived. More than that, he walks and he talks -- mostly about sports. He's a big fan of the Arizona Cardinals and was excited to tell ABC15's Javier Soto about meeting the team's owner.
"I got to go on the field and meet Michael Bidwill," he told Soto. When asked what they talked about when they met, Isaiah didn't miss a beat. He told him, "I wanted to go up to the area and meet Ron Wolfley."
That's the kind of person Isaiah is; he's quick-witted and when he's passionate about something, he knows all about it -- whether it's the Cardinals or his love for news and radio. While nothing's been easy for Isaiah or his family, that doesn't stop him from succeeding at anything he put his mind to. It's something that inspires even his own doctor.
"Isaiah has defied all odds. First with his survival. Second, his motor development, and walking, third, with the fact that he can speak at all, but does so quite eloquently," said neurologist Dr. Javier Cardenas.
His mother also recognizes how special he is.
"He's come so far. It's just unbelievable where he's at right now. I appreciate that he's here. I appreciate he's so strong. He's doing so much past what people thought he would do."
So, what's next for Isaiah? He told Soto he's ready to start working and going into a training program now that he's out of high school.
A bright new start for this bright young man.