From Near Dehydration Victim to Eater of Eggs

Haleigh Poutre, the little girl who was due to be dehyrated to death because she was supposedly unconscious with no hope of recovery, is now eating eggs and interacting with those around her. And where are the supporters of dehydrating the cognitively disabled? Where are they to explain why and how a little girl was almost killed and nobody would have known the wiser except for fortunate exigent circumstances?

Such decisions to dehydrate those who have not asked, nor can ask, to have their food and water removed is a national shame. And yet we continue to think of these deaths as merely an exercise in determining the “best interests” of incompetent patients based in sound medical ethics.

And, the natural family is now being kept away from visiting her. It is true that Haleigh’s biological mother, Allison Avrett, lost her parental rights. But Haleigh’s adoptive parents tried to kill her. Now, Avrett and Haleigh’s biological maternal grandmother, Sandra Sudyka, want to care for her. And it seems to me that if the problems that caused the loss of parental rights have been remedied, Avrett (or, perhaps Sudyka) should be appointed guardian (again, assuming they are qualified) and put in charge of Haleigh’s care.

Regardless of that issue, until a few months ago, they were allowed to visit until stopped by the social workers. This means the girl is once again, isolated—as too often the patients in these food and fluids cases become.

And consider this poignant point from the Boston Globe story: “At the hearings, Sudyka said she is most upset at the thought that Haleigh wonders why she and Avrett abruptly stopped visiting her. The girl can only assume that ‘we don’t care,’ Sudyka said.

This should be a huge national story that punctures our smug presumption that the profoundly disabled are better off dead.