Haleigh Poutre turns 12; receiving physical therapy

An uplifting update:

Haleigh Poutre, the little Massachusetts girl who was put into a hospital after she was physically abused by her stepparents, turned 12 years-old. Poutre, who is receiving physical therapy now, reached her birthday Friday and her birthmother was prevented from visiting her.

Poutre was the subject of a national euthanasia debate recently when state officials sought to remove her from life support. As they battled her stepfather in court, Poutre began breathing on her own and showing signs of possibly recovering from the coma.

The girl was placed in a hospital in September after being beaten by her stepmother, who later killed herself in an apparent suicide. Poutre had been subjected to physical abuse for some time.

About a week after taking custody of her, state officials sought to deny her life support. Haleigh was admitted to the Franciscan Hospital for Children in Boston and Department of Social Services officials tell the Boston Globe she is in medically stable condition.

After making a partial recovery, Poutre has been receiving physical, speech, and occupational therapy.

Keep praying for her. She's still got a long way to go.

Previous posts here and here.

UPDATE: CanadianCynic is trying to take me to task for saying nothing about Sun Hudson, a 5-month-old who died last year after having his ventilator removed. Others are also trying to compare Sun's case to Terri Schiavo's. These comparisons are intrinsically flawed. Sun Hudson was born with a fatal birth defect and life-support was only delaying the inevitable. Neither Haleigh Poutre nor Terri Schiavo were terminally ill. (In fact, it's now without a doubt that Haleigh was misdiagnosed!) It's as simple as that, folks.