[8mmMauser]

Haleigh Poutre Update!

(some cheerful info leaked out of the DSS seal...)

WESTFIELD - Child abuse victim Haleigh Poutre, once deemed to be "virtually brain dead" by medical experts, continues to improve and is even speaking a few words, her biological grandmother said this week.

Sandra Sudyka, of the Feeding Hills section of Agawam, angered over the state Department of Social Services apparent termination of her and her daughter's bimonthly visits to Haleigh at her Boston hospital, said she has decided to speak publicly of her granddaughter's condition.

Snip

"They don't want people to know how she is doing after they wanted to pull the plug," Sudyka said.

Haleigh spoke her first word to Sudyka and Avrett in June as one of their visits to Franciscan Hospital for Children drew to a close.

Relative says girl making progress

8mm

(this includes Ohioan from Florida's ping list, update to July 23.)



Terri on the road to recovery before the second stage began.

[8mmMauser]

Terri's Legacy List

(Original Ohioan from Florida's ping list, update to July 23.)

[T'wit]

Yesterday, we came across nuns doing bluegrass. That still makes me smile. It brought to mind Tere Rios's character, the flying nun. Marie Teresa Rios Versace (Tere Rios) -- Another Teresa! -- was a devout Catholic and an extraordinary woman (see her bios below). She was married to a West Pointer and her son, also a West Pointer, was executed by the Viet Cong -- the first American to win the Congressional Medal of Honor in Vietnam. Under her maiden nickname, Tere Rios, she wrote three books -- Brother Angel, An Angel Grows Up, and The Fifteenth Pelican (which has the flying nun character). The first two are hard to come by but worth the effort. They all seem to be about little angels and very human angels they are indeed :-)

Marie Teresa Rios Versace (Tere Rios)

Marie Teresa Rios Versace (Tere Rios)

Remembering Rocky Versace -- the first American medal of honor winner in Vietnam

[T'wit]

Good for Grandma! I don't know what's with the DSS, denying visiting privileges to Haleigh's mother and grandmother. Nothing can help the girl as much as family and love. Trust the [expletive deleted] bureaucrats to cite some obscure rule and screw everything up.

Meanwhile... children survive brain injuries markedly better than adults. Go, Haleigh! May God bring you back to us.