One year ago, Justina Pelletier was living the life of a normal 15-year-old going to school, celebrating family parties, ice skating, and enjoying life. Although she has mitochondrial disease, she was being treated at Tufts and was able to function normally. Then she got the flu and, due to possible complications from her mitochondrial disease, doctors at Tufts recommended the family go to Boston Children's Hospital (BCH) where her gastrointestinal doctor had recently transferred. That's when the nightmare began after an emergency room doctor said it was all in her head, put her in the psych ward, and sicced the Department of Children and Family Services (DCF) on the Pelletiers. They also banned involvement from any other doctors.
In one year, Justina has gone from living a normal life to being partially paralyzed and in continuous pain with no treatment for her mitochondrial disorder. Today the judge who initiated this horror show ordered her into non-medical foster care under the custody of DCF. Read about it here, here, and here and watch the video interview with her dad who is fighting to save his daughter's life.
Essentially Justina has been kidnapped by the Massachusetts DCF, BCH, and the court, a scenario all too common in this country.
And Justina's father now faces a contempt charge for breaking a court-ordered gag rule and speaking out in an attempt to save his daughter's life. Think about it. Even if the doctors at BCH are correct and Justina suffers from psychological factors in addition to the physical problems, they have raised her level of anxiety by removing her from everyone she loves. Is it reasonable to limit family to a one-hour visit a week and one 20 minute phone call?
Ultimately, the proof is in the child who was functioning normally a year ago and is now wheelchair bound and in constant pain. And they are advocating talk therapy? Somebody needs to put the docs in the mental ward. This situation is particularly egregious since Justina has a sister who also suffers from mitochondrial disease. She is being treated and is functioning while her sister is tortured by arrogant doctors, an out-of-control judge, and a children's services agency playing god.
Sign the petition to support Justina and her family. And get the word out.
There was a rally for Justina at the courthouse this morning where the judge struck another blow against the family. Let's rally in prayer for the Pelletiers. How about one Hail Mary every day for reunification with her family.
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