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Haleigh’s Hour
Posted by Raven on January 17th, 2006
The MA Supreme Court has ruled that little Haleigh Poutre- the 8 year old child severly beaten by her adoptive mother and stepfather, can be taken off life support.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) – The state’s highest court ruled Tuesday that the state can withdraw life support from an 11-year-old girl who was badly beaten, allegedly by her adoptive mother and stepfather.
Haleigh Poutre, of Westfield, was hospitalized in September after she was allegedly kicked and beaten nearly to death with a baseball bat.
The girl’s stepfather, Jason Strickland, asked the Supreme Judicial Court last month to block the state from taking her off life support, arguing that he was the girl’s “de facto” parent. He is already charged in her beating and if she dies, could face a murder charge.
The adoptive mother, Holli Strickland, who was also Haleigh’s aunt, was also charged in the beating and was found dead alongside her grandmother in a possible murder-suicide less than two weeks later.
The state Department of Social Services has custody of the girl and wants to remove her from life support, citing opinions from her doctors that the girl is in a permanent vegetative state.
A juvenile court judge granted the state’s request to disconnect Haleigh’s feeding tube and ventilator, prompting Jason Strickland to appeal to the SJC. Doctors had said Haleigh would die within a few days without the feeding tube.
But in its ruling, the court said he had offered no evidence “that his participation in (Haleigh’s) life was of a loving or nurturing nature.” Haleigh’s biological mother Allison Avrett, said Tuesday: “I’m in complete shock at this point. My mind is running with things.”
A spokeswoman for the Department of Social Services had no immediate comment.
Haleigh was adopted by her aunt about five years ago after Avrett moved to Virginia with a new boyfriend. Jason Strickland, who never formally adopted the girl, argued that as the stepfather, he should be considered a de facto parent and allowed to have a say in whether she lives or dies.
Strickland’s lawyer, John Egan, insisted his client isn’t motivated by the chance he could be charged with murder if the girl dies.
“We should be coming down on the side of life as opposed to death,” he told the justices during last month’s hearing.
But the SJC said in its ruling that it was impossible to consider Strickland’s intentions without also taking into account the criminal charges he might face if she dies.
“To recognize the petitioner as a de facto parent, in order that he may participate in a medical end-of-life decision for the child, is unthinkable in the circumstances of this case,” the SJC said.
None of this is really about Haleigh. It’s about her father, the stepparents, anyone but her. She is the victim here and her life is being taken away by those who are using her as a pawn for their own selfish needs. Disgusting.
January 17th, 2006 at 7:25 pm
Raven, I’m a bit lost on this one.
She is the victim here and her life is being taken away by those who are using her as a pawn for their own selfish needs.
Could you please identify who is using her as a pawn?
January 17th, 2006 at 9:23 pm
Haleigh’s father wants her kept on LS so he doesn’t get charged with murder; the stepdad wasn’t involved with her at all; her mom gave her up; and the state wants to pull the plug so they can charge the dad with murder…IMO.
It’s sad.
January 17th, 2006 at 10:55 pm
Yeah, it is a sad situation.
January 19th, 2006 at 1:46 pm
The man who is accused of taking part in the beating of this child now wants to step up to the plate and parent? Where was he 6 months ago before the girl was comatose? Convenient timing on his part when he wants to parent and when he wants to punch.
January 19th, 2006 at 4:34 pm
:?::?: My question is What’s the deal with her natural mother??
She gives up the little one about 4 years ago! 4YEARS AGO Think about it that makes Haleigh what 7 years of age if reports I have read of her age being 11 are correct, is when she was given up for adoption! What the hell:mad: They say the age of reason is 7! I wonder what haleigh was thinking & felt knowing she wouldnt be with her mommy that she has come to know since birth anymore! What I have read she was put up for adoption when her mother moved to Virgina with her new boyfriend! What her new boyfriend didnt want Haleigh around:?: I wonder who’s the father of the other child also Allison Avrett Haleighs mom child that I have seen in news photos on the internet…THE BOYFRIENDS!! Not to mention the fact that apparently the natural mother has approved the states ruling of having this child removed from life support.:shock: I really see all the love flowing from everyone invovled in this case !!:mad::sad: Seems to me the ones who really care are the doctors and the people that are fighting for Haleigh and those who like me are parents who I’m sure feel the way I do. I’m a mother of a now 14 year old I could never imagine myself beating her especially with a BAT! Those of us who are parents know how trying and difficult it is raising a child and the stress it can create but in all due respect its really HOW YOU THE PARENT MAKES IT! I have never screamed or put my daughter down by way of demeaning words for anything. She gets sometime a little cocky and I just give her a look like excuse me? She knows then that her comment wasnt to thrilling to me and corrects herself. Just because our children are not 18 years of age means they have no right to speech, opinions, tantrums or to state their dislikes, or to simply cry. If parents would stop telling their kids “YOU’LL DO WHAT I SAY OR ELSE!” or “YOUR GOING WHERE I SAY AND THATS THAT!” you might be surpise at the way your kids react. HELLO those parents you know who you are .. how about asking your child how they feel, how about asking them for a favor in doing something instead of demanding it, ask how they feel and why they dont want to go somewhere and if they dont behave how about instead of yelling or hitting, BEATING them to get your point across. If you have to punish its not that hard to explain to them your reason for the punishment and not give the attention that misbehavoir is seeking. How about comming to some kind of compromise with your child. My daughter Paige when she was smaller would throw a fit so I would just say “When your done you let me know okay I’ll be in the other room” Guess what she stopped 
Kids cry , kids get into things they are not suppose to , DIDNT WE?! There are other solutions to dealing with your child you think smacking or beating them is. Think about how you felt when you were spanked. Personally I feel the mother the state or the step monster has no right to voice their opinions about the welfare of Haleigh. They are all a bunch of losers that really have no place on this earth. I’m praying for this little one and thank the lord who I feel has stepped in and has helped Haleigh fight and who is now breathing on her own the day after the courts made their ruling trying to cut her life support off. I hope she proves everyone wrong and survives this cause if she does I wonder if the state will be just as involved in finding a more suitible home with true loving & caring people as they are in pulling the plug on her life.. I wonder??:?::?::mad::sad::cry::???: