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From the Metro staff at The Boston Globe

Video shows Haleigh Poutre writing, feeding self

November 18, 2008 08:00 PM Email| Comments (21)| Text size – +

This video is the first public glimpse of Haleigh Poutre's condition since she suffered a near-fatal brain injury in her Westfield home. (Video by Patricia Wen, Globe Staff)

By Patricia Wen, Globe Staff

SPRINGFIELD -- Some jurors seemed moved to tears today in the child abuse trial of Haleigh Poutre's stepfather, as they watched a 26-minute video showing the brain-injured girl moving around in a wheelchair, feeding herself with trembling hands, and -- in a poignant moment -- writing her name.

The video was the first public glimpse of the 14-year-old Westfield girl since she became the center of a national end-of-life debate when the state's child-protection agency sought to remove her life support in 2005, saying she was in an "irreversible" vegetative state. In that context, yesterday's images of Haleigh were as inspirational as they were painful, showing the resilience of a child who defied predictions about her fate.

The courtroom of Hampden County Superior Court Judge Judd Carhart was silent as the audio-less video played in a half-dozen computer screens stationed near the jurors' chairs, lawyers' tables and spectator sections. At times, several jurors could be seen wiping their eyes, one with a tissue. The defendant, Jason Strickland, 34, showed little visible emotion, a look he has maintained through the last eight days of testimony.

The video showed Haleigh using a fork and spoon, manipulating an alphabet board to communicate, and placing a music CD into a boom box. At one point she leaned across a table and without much hesitation, and in clear print, she wrote, "Haleigh Poutre."

"That's pretty much her functional level now," said Dr. Jeffrey Forman, director of rehabilitation at the Franciscan Hospital for Children in Brighton, where Haleigh has been living and attending a day school for nearly three years.

Forman testified that Haleigh has made "dramatic progress" since she arrived at his pediatric rehabilitation hospital in late January 2006, after regaining consciousness while at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield. He said that she cannot sit up by herself. With some help, she can walk about 100 feet, but by the end is "very tired," he said.

He said she can speak, but her language is hard to understand. She uses a board with alphabet letters and other symbols to express herself, but "her communication is very limited."

When asked by prosecutor Brandt if she will ever live independently, he replied, "I don't think she will."

Defense attorney Alan Black today tried unsuccessfully to convince the judge to suppress digital footage of Haleigh at the Franciscan, saying it would emotionally sway the jury against his client. He also failed to suppress another video, aired earlier in the day, showing a healthy, 10-year-old Haleigh performing a high-spirited solo dance to an Elvis Presley song.

Within the next day or two, her stepfather is expected to take the stand to defend himself against the state's charges that he and his wife, Holli Strickland , severely abused Haleigh over a five-year period, culminating in a near-fatal violent brain injury in the autumn of 2005. Black said Jason Strickland will testify that he had long believed his wife's reports that Haleigh had a psychological disorder causing her to hurt herself, including sometimes hurling herself down sets of stairs.

Strickland is expected to portray himself as a hard-working mechanic, who accepted his wife's explanation of Haleigh's many injuries.

Doctors and state social workers also accepted Holli Strickland's explanation that Haleigh hurt herself -- causing them to dismiss more than a dozen anonymous complaints from local residents who suspected that the Stricklands were abusing the girl.

However, Dr. Christine Barron, a forensic pediatrician from Hasbro Children's Hospital in Providence, R.I., pointed to multiple photographs of Haleigh's injured body in 2005 and testified that her multiple bruises, cuts, and burn marks could not all be self-inflicted.

She pointed to a lengthy linear scar that wrapped around Haleigh's torso as an example of an injury she could not have inflicted herself. Barron said that injury seemed caused by a wire-like object striking Haleigh in that area.

Barron also said that it was possible that Haleigh's severe head injury was caused by falling down the stairs, although the extent of her injury indicated she would have been pushed or kicked with considerable force -- causing her to plunge directly to the bottom.

It has been unclear exactly why Holli, Haleigh's adoptive mother, and Jason Strickland allegedly reserved such harsh treatment for Haleigh, the oldest of the three children in the home. Angela Harris, a 14-year-old friend of Haleigh's sister, testified she once heard 11-year-old Haleigh crying after entering a first-floor bathroom with the couple, then emerging with a newly cut lip. Harris said that Haleigh wore "pull-up" pants then, a reference to Haleigh's apparent difficulty at times controlling her urine or bowel movements.

Medical records have showed that Holli Strickland had complained to doctors about Haleigh's toilet accidents, as well as accusing her of hoarding and hiding food in the house.

Holli Strickland is not on trial because she died in an apparent murder-suicide with her grandmother, shortly after she and her husband were arrested on child abuse charges.

Patricia Wen can be reached at wen@globe.com.

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21 comments so far...

I think you should have kept that comment to yourself. What if it was your loved one battling back from the brink of death? Would you still feel the same way about watching a video on their amazing recovery?

Posted by J November 18, 08 03:09 PM

They need to convict her stepfather, who put her in this condition. I hope he burns in hell.

Posted by Situation November 18, 08 03:14 PM

And reading your comments is like realizing that even 1.5 seconds are sufficient to demonstrate what an inane person you are.

Posted by felixzeiler November 18, 08 03:18 PM

Wow - jeremyfranz, how nasty and cruel can you be? Considering this girl was literally unable to move 3 years ago, to accomplish what she has after being beaten and abused beyond reason, it is quite a triumph for her. The trial is to put one of her abusers, her stepfather, into prison for what he has done to her. (Her stepmother did us taxpayers the favor and took her own life.)

You, on the other hand, should just have your brain removed, as you obviously have no use for it with the lack of any compassion you've shown. Pray that you're never in the same position as Haleigh and need the care she's received.

Posted by Linda November 18, 08 03:22 PM

God love her! The poor thing, I think someone out to throw the Stepfather down a few stairs.

Posted by gilmar4 November 18, 08 03:24 PM

This is a glimpse of a horrible situation turned good. This should raise eye brows on child abuse in america. We parents should change our methods of discipline, and the people who are abusing these wonderful gifts of the world(Babies). Need to be dealt with in the harshes penalties available. Children dont ask to be born, and it is up to the adults to raise them with the best intentions in mind. Many people in the world need to be educated on the diffucults of raising a baby to be a productive citzen in America. To often people who cant take care of theirselves are having unprotected sex, and bringing defenseless babies into the world! Why? Then abuse them because they cant deal with the stress that associates with the emotional, physical, protective capacities that come with being a parent. These parents that abused this baby need to be locked under the prison, and receive random acts of abuse through out the day by multiple prisoners. To get a glimpse of what it means to be defenseless.

Posted by Rickey Lockhart November 18, 08 03:24 PM

i hope they hang that dirtbag stepfather. child abuse is the most heartbreaking thing i can imagine.

Posted by LMLD November 18, 08 03:25 PM

How wonderful to see her! So delighted to see her making such progress. She will always be in my Prayers.

Posted by Edel Quinn November 18, 08 03:36 PM

I am really glad people responded with disgust to the first comment about watching paint dry....that was really cruel. I am assuming the blogger took it down - great job.

Posted by Situation November 18, 08 03:40 PM

Thank God that is alive. God can work miracles. We got to do early intervention to prevent things like this from happening. It needs to start as soon as we see the 1st sign of abuse. I pray for all of our children in this todays crises that we are up against. I would like to see alot of money go into DFS and other subgroups

Posted by BRENDA SERY November 18, 08 03:46 PM

When I heard about Haleigh back in 2005, her life broke my heart. So glad she is doing better. May her step "father" rot in jail. Disgusting. God Bless you Haleigh, you are in my thoughts and prayers.

Posted by mells November 18, 08 03:48 PM

Hayley, You Go, Girl!! I hope and pray that the man who caused this to happen to such a beautiful young girl gets exactly what he deserves.

Posted by samuel adams fan November 18, 08 04:21 PM

God bless you Haleigh, may you with the grace of Mary mother of Jesus in time have a full recovery from your unneccessary injuries at the hands of an evil person. I'm not one to advocate violence here but i'm sure wherever this stepfather ends up prison or street he will get what's due him. Karna has a way of evening things out. Hope somebody hurts you ya pice of shat.

Posted by tragik November 18, 08 04:27 PM

I am not sure if I would have rather had the life support turned off if it were me.
As far as I am concerned, the stepfather should still be charged with 2nd degree murder.

Posted by Alex November 18, 08 04:51 PM

Poor thing. This story is heartbreaking in that this girl had nowhere to turn. Her own parents abused her. The state failed to protect her. And when she ended up in a coma, the state wanted to pull the plug and end her life. What a fighter this little girl is! Her inspirational will to survive stands in complete contrast to the dastardly, cowardly acts of her parents.

Posted by Greg November 18, 08 05:45 PM

I've always wondered this after hearing about this disgusting story years ago... Pray tell, what about her real father? What was this man doing as this child was being beaten 3/4 to death by this No Good SOB? If there is a GOD this Christmas Season, this sub human parasite that did this to this child will begin to suffer a slow, painful, agonizing death. Coward.

Posted by RRK November 18, 08 06:34 PM

The vitriol against Strickland is understandable. He's a louse, a loser and plenty of far worse words. He has to live with what he did to this child and what he didn't do to protect her from his deranged wife. The real question is how did life in this family spin so wildly out of control? Will Mr. Strickland take the stand and help us understand how adults could vent such rage and anger on an innocent child? Where did the hate come from? Why couldn't they stop themselves before robbing this girl of her mind and mobility? How do we keep other insane parents from doing these things?

Posted by Neena November 18, 08 08:39 PM

Thank you to all the medical specialist's that saved this beautiful little girls life, and to those that continue working with her. The rest of this story is not worth commenting on.

Posted by mike C November 18, 08 10:47 PM

I don't know what gilmar4 was talking about in her first sentence, but what I really want to know is why the author needed to put "one with a tissue" in that sentence about people wiping their eyes, as if we really care if a tissue was used or not.

Posted by Mooninite November 19, 08 01:33 AM

Haliegh is at the Franciscan Hospital for Children. Anyone who wants to donate to Franciscan Hospital for Children can do so on their website - www.franciscanhospital.com. They are having a 5K walk/run this weekend as a fund raiser. My child is on the same floor as Haliegh. Haliegh is doing amazingly well and now that I know what happened to her I am very angry. I am trying to channel that anger into something good. Donate if you can. Volunteers are also welcomed for all the children there.

Posted by s November 19, 08 10:14 AM

I visited the Franciscan Hospital for Children as part of a volunteer program for athletes through my school. Some of us had the good fortune to meet Haliegh (as well as a lot of the other wonderful, beautiful kids in the hospital). We were informed that there was a story about her in the Globe today, and we were thanked for doing "what we did for her today." Reading this story was very difficult for me, as I am sure it is for everyone, and what happened to that beautiful little girl is gut-wrenching. I never wish ill fortune upon anyone, but I will not be upset if I hear about it happening to those responsible for her "condition."

Posted by l November 19, 08 05:15 PM