DC - Justina gets standing ovation from Congress

[SeeAlice]

IMO, it is long past time for the Pelletiers to start worrying about alienating the medical establishment...they already have, big-time. And the fact that the sisters echo the parents' belief that BCH harmed Justina is in no way surprising OR proof that is true. Any objective analysis of Justina's health status shows that she was having trouble walking, eating and having bowel movements,swallowing, speaking, and more when she entered BCH. Many of these problems were improved or gone....she could eat, swallow, speak... by the time she left BCH for the rehab facilities. But they returned shortly after she went home to the family's care. In short: Justina had big problems before BCH, some of them improved under BCH care, and now they are back under family/YaleNH/CHOP care. No one has the completely story, but to blame BCH for all Justina's troubles is just ridiculous.

I saw the sister claim that the bald spot was also the fault of BCH. Not true. That was the first thing many of us noticed about Justina in family photos - looks like a nervous/emotional disorder and it was occurring long before she was ever admitted to BCH.

She has many problems. Some may be physiological diseases and disorders, but she definitely has serious emotional problems, too. There is nothing wrong with that. Thousands of other parents are forced to deal with problems much more devastating and difficult every day in America. Their children are no less valued or loved due to their imperfections.

I don't believe Justina's life is endangered by her conditions and I don't believe there is any medical intervention that will ever "cure" her or improve her quality of life very much. She will likely always "suffer" GI distress symptoms, like millions of other Americans. It's time to acknowledge that she's about as well as they can expect. She was probably never very likely to function as a normal, independent adult anyway.

Sorry if that sounds harsh but that's the way I see it. I hope all of them can come to terms with it and know some kind peace in the future. The other daughters need some kind of stability and sense of normalcy so that they can mature and thrive. They may not complain or even be able to see this themselves. I wouldn't expect anything different in a family as codependent as I believe this one is.

JMO

 

[daisytrail]

Why? Why does anybody need to know? Doesn't she have the right to any privacy?

I have been reading and am only up to page 3, but I am finding it all quite fascinating because I had never heard of this young woman. People should have a right to privacy, but once they put themselves out there, their actual right to privacy diminishes (laws protecting them from libel and slander are less applicable) and some people probably regret their celebrity. You cannot unring that bell. And that is sad. People seek validations of their particular "truth" and end up being dissected instead.

 

[stormshine]

I have been reading and am only up to page 3, but I am finding it all quite fascinating because I had never heard of this young woman. People should have a right to privacy, but once they put themselves out there, their actual right to privacy diminishes (laws protecting them from libel and slander are less applicable) and some people probably regret their celebrity. You cannot unring that bell. And that is sad. People seek validations of their particular "truth" end up being dissected instead.

The family has been quiet since Christmas. My issue with them is more with the way they seem to use their daughter for attention/money. If they are choosing to stay private I am content to respect that for the time being. However, when they start posting medical information (however vague) in public again, then they're opening the issue up to public speculation.

 

[sweetmom]

the family has been quiet since christmas. My issue with them is more with the way they seem to use their daughter for attention/money. If they are choosing to stay private i am content to respect that for the time being. However, when they start posting medical information (however vague) in public again, then they're opening the issue up to public speculation.

Imo, it would be good for Justina if they went dark permanently. But if they really are hooked on getting sympathy from strangers who have a very flawed understanding of all the twists and turns of this case, or if they are seeking more donations of money, then they will begin posting again.

 

[Morag]

Their house has been in foreclosure a number of times, and they have many unpaid judgements against them in civil court, going back for years. They managed to get their house out of foreclosure within the last year, so I suppose that they have gotten donations. Poor Justina.

 

[sweetmom]

Their house has been in foreclosure a number of times, and they have many unpaid judgements against them in civil court, going back for years. They managed to get their house out of foreclosure within the last year, so I suppose that they have gotten donations. Poor Justina.

I've read on various comment boards that those stories about foreclosure and liens are true but have not seen actual citations from CT courts. If someone has links to them, I would love to have them. If indeed they have used donations sent by gullible supporters who thought they were somehow being used "to free Justina," that would be disgusting, IMO. Instead they may have been used to "free" Lou from having to work to pay his bills.
Could the lack of postings/pleas for donations by the family and the possibility that they've used previous donations to pay off all those outstanding debts be related? Maybe that explains the recent silence?

 

[Morag]

Here's a link to look up (by name) civil and small courts claims:

http://www.jud.ct.gov/jud2.htm


And here's a link to foreclosure notices. I see that the Pelletier property is once again in foreclosure.

https://sso.eservices.jud.ct.gov/foreclosures/Public/PendPostbyTownDetails.aspx?town=West Hartford

 

[Hiandmighty]

Ew, there is an actual sale date on it.

 

[Donjeta]

I have been reading and am only up to page 3, but I am finding it all quite fascinating because I had never heard of this young woman. People should have a right to privacy, but once they put themselves out there, their actual right to privacy diminishes (laws protecting them from libel and slander are less applicable) and some people probably regret their celebrity. You cannot unring that bell. And that is sad. People seek validations of their particular "truth" and end up being dissected instead.

Yeah I don't think libel and slander are the issue here, it's not that Justina has lost her privacy because malicious gossip rags are after her, it's more that her family puts so much information out there.

 

[sweetmom]

Here's a link to look up (by name) civil and small courts claims:

http://www.jud.ct.gov/jud2.htm


And here's a link to foreclosure notices. I see that the Pelletier property is once again in foreclosure.

https://sso.eservices.jud.ct.gov/foreclosures/Public/PendPostbyTownDetails.aspx?town=West Hartford

If all the cases listed for Linda or Louis Pelletier are accurate, they owe about $6,500 to various medical and other services, none of which show a date on which the judgment was satisfied. I assume this means they never paid them. And all the rulings are on cases brought years before Justina's admission to BCH.
The house has been in and out of foreclosure since 2008 or so, and the new foreclosure auction date is Jan. 24, 2015. So evidently the "billionaire" who supposedly was helping them out has gone away without solving this problem for them.
IMO, new pleas for donations will begin very, very soon.

 

[sweetmom]

If all the cases listed for Linda or Louis Pelletier are accurate, they owe about $6,500 to various medical and other services, none of which show a date on which the judgment was satisfied. I assume this means they never paid them. And all the rulings are on cases brought years before Justina's admission to BCH.
The house has been in and out of foreclosure since 2008 or so, and the new foreclosure auction date is Jan. 24, 2015. So evidently the "billionaire" who supposedly was helping them out has gone away without solving this problem for them.
IMO, new pleas for donations will begin very, very soon.

Did some further checking into the cases and there are many more. One is for $17,000 or so for unpaid utilities. They owe a LOT of money. I recall a thread on a website that said the family was using Justina's illness as their excuse for non-payment of utility, mortgage and other bills. Looking for confirmation of that. Jennifer and Linda P. also are plaintiffs in two fender-bender cases due to be heard sometime in 2015.

 

[annahanna]

IMO, new pleas for donations will begin very, very soon.

I think the pleas for $$$ have already started. Rebecca Angel (a consistent supporter) appealed for donations in a tweet on January 6th at # free justina.

 

[annahanna]

I think the Pellitier family is very unique. Very few would have done what they have done. If it were just the parents, maybe suspicion would be justified. All the sisters have expressed at one time or the other that Justina is sick and Boston Children's have made her worse, by not treating her medical but insisting it was psychosomatic or somatoform. They were anguishing over physical and mental suffering during that time and went public pleading for help. As to what her condition is now, we don't really know because they have retreated from public view and sharing her medical details with us. I think it is because they don't want to alienate the medical community more than they have and they are respecting Justina. It is not uncommon for autoimmune or infectious diseases to go unrecognized or misdiagnosed in children and adults and because doctors can't definitively say what the diagnosis and treatment is for their ailments, they are labeled conversion disorder or somtaform. I can imagine how I would feel if it were me. There have been people who had aggressive cancers that were missed for a time and labeled "all in their head". I have an inlaw who has stiff person syndrome and other symptoms, (in England) and she was told this some years ago. Because she had doctors in her family and her own father was a renowned surgeon she was able to get their help in finding doctors who could correctly diagnose her.

I agree that they are unique, but probably not in the manner that you mean. As a general rule, most parents of chronically ill kids make tremendous sacrifices - personally, professionally, financially, emotionally, and socially - to move heaven and earth to help their kids. Most parents of chronically ill kids do this quietly, without expecting or wanting attention or freebies. There are a few selfish, self-centered parents within the chronic disease community who make their kid's illness all about them. They are on the lookout for every handout and freebie and they tend to believe that their kid's disease is "so much worse" then every one else's - it never is. I believe that the Pelletiers fall into this unique group.

To believe that Justina does not suffer from medical abuse or Somatoform disorder because the sisters think she is sick and blame BCH for making her worse is naive. It is extremely common in abuse situations for other family members, and often the victim, to defend the abuser(s). Severely abused children still love their parents and often try to please them - even to the point of accepting abuse, degradation, and pain. Family members are often enablers.

While it is true that some people with autoimmune, infectious or rare conditions go undiagnosed for long periods of time, the Dr House scenario is not the norm and certainly not the norm at the world's leading children's hospitals. Justina spent 11 months inpatient at Boston Children's, 2 months inpatient at Yale New Haven, and 1 month inpatient at CHildrens Hospital Philadelphia. All three are outstanding children's hospitals with phenomenal reputations for quality care. All three would have tested her for anything that could reasonably cause the symptoms she is reporting. All three would have tested her for Mitochondrial Diseases and all three have respected specialists in the field. Since no diagnosis has been forthcoming from the family, it is reasonable to assume that Yale New Haven and CHOP agreed with BCH that she does not have Mito and probably that she does have Somatoform. As far as the belief expressed by the Pelletiers that BCH caused anything, comparing her medical condition when she was admitted to her condition at discharge disproves that. Besides the Pelletiers have a track record of blaming others for bad things that happen. Their lawsuit history, justified or not, would hurt them in a medical malpractice action - should they ever file one.

 

[i.b.nora]

Linda filed for bankruptcy just prior to June 13, 2014.

You gotta read the auto accident docs, especially the request to amend complaint filed June 13, 2014.

http://civilinquiry.jud.ct.gov/DocumentInquiry/DocumentInquiry.aspx?DocumentNo=7705828

Does anyone remember when they started their requests for donations?

 

[sweetmom]

I've read the auto accident complaint, which IMO is full of legal boilerplate language....I've seen other comment boards that say the driver who hit them is a local musician and the lawsuit, if the Pelletiers win it, would pretty much ruin him financially. They are asking for $15,000, which would not quite pay off their outstanding utility bill lien. One poster on another board claims they have managed to forestall the cutting off of their electricity and heat for years of nonpayment of bills by saying they have a disabled child. Sadly, IMO, if this is true, that is another distasteful way they are using Justina's problems to enrich themselves.

Reading the auto accident complaint, it seems to be a fenderbender that the Pelletiers are trying to turn into a major deal. Whiplash!!! Since none of the sisters or Linda has spoken up in the past year or so about actually having the dire, lasting injuries that the lawsuit foretells, those dire consequences apparently have not, are not and will not be happening.

Whatever else we have learned about this family, one thing is certain, IMO: They are champion drama queens. Remember when Linda "fainted' in the courtroom and had to be gurneyed out?

 

[Hiandmighty]

Oh don't even remind me about when Linda fell out at the courthouse.....

 

[sweetmom]

Oh don't even remind me about when Linda fell out at the courthouse.....

Sometimes it's hard to separate the drama from the comedy....

 

[annahanna]

t is astonishing to me that 3 members of the same immediate family could possibly have the misfortune of being the innocent victims of 3 different traffic accidents serious enough to compel them to file lawsuits each with demands in excess if $15,000. I really can't imagine this happening in a lifetime, let alone in a 1 or 2 year period.

Jennifer is the plaintiff in an auto accident lawsuit that she filed 7/02/13. It is unclear when the accident occurred, however Jennifer filed suit during the time that Justina was hospitalized (inpatient) at Boston Children's. An offer of compromise was made on 1/12/15. The case is scheduled to go to trial 2/17/15. The attorney is Gerald S Sack Law Offices.

Jessica was the plaintiff in an auto accident lawsuit that she filed on 3/06/14 for an accident that occurred 3/14/12. The suit was filed while Justina was still in the custody of MA DCF at Wayside. Although Jessica filed the suit, she was not prepared to answer the defendant's interrogatory questions in a timely manner and had to be compelled to do so by the judge. The case was withdrawn on 10/01/14. The attorney is Deron Freeman.

Linda is the lead plaintiff in an auto accident lawsuit that she filed on 2/18/14 for an accident that occurred 6/19/12. The suit was filed while Justina was still in the custody of MA DCF at Wayside. Both Julia and Jessica were passengers in the car and joined the complaint as plaintiffs. Although they initiated the lawsuit, the Pelletiers were not prepared to answer the defendants' interrogatory questions in a timely manner resulting in significant delays. The attorney is Gerald S Sack Law Offices.

This seems like a money making scheme to me. Just my opinion.

 

[i.b.nora]

Regarding the individual Jessica lawsuit, I am certain that is a different Jessica. Even with that said, the other two lawsuits are revealing, imo.

 

[Love143]

Justina = meal ticket, through donations or politics. IMO...MOO.