Family battling Children’s Hospital to bring teen home for Christmas

[Gardenlady]

Well, I actually heard it from her father in an interview. I hope your are right
Thought that sounded odd, and illegal .
Thanks

That's been my whole point all along - that we only have half the story (what the parents are saying). By law, the other side cannot comment on what's going on. And these other groups are not helping matters...

 

[kincaid]

One thing I don't think has been mentioned in this thread is the fact Justina had been seeing a clinical psychologist for 5 years, Dr Dean Hokanson. He's interviewed in the FOX CT's first story on Justina Pelletier. Dr Hokanson is quoted in the article saying, "they were actually being accused of being too active in pursuing healthcare matters for their child."

http://foxct.com/2013/11/19/hospita...-after-parents-argue-diagnosis/#ixzz2ufNajpql

If Justina had psychiatric needs before going to BCH, why wouldn't the psychologist who's treating her figure that out? He's not an MD, but psychologists actually speak to patients rather than just writing prescriptions for prozac. He'd treated her for 5 years vs 4 days BCH took to make the somatoform disorder.

 

[jjenny]

"Massachusetts state officials said Friday that they are working to transfer care of Justina Pelletier — the 15-year-old West Hartford girl who has been the subject of a yearlong custody battle — to Tufts Medical Center and eventually have her come home."

http://www.courant.com/health/connecticut/hc-pelletier-update-0301-20140228,0,4613922.story

 

[JeannaT]

They cannot say it by law. It would be a violation of Justina's rights under HIPAA.

We've all seen cases where something goes to the media, and then the school/doctors office/whoever says they're bound not to release information but once it all comes out in court there is much more to the story and due to laws they can't defend their justifiable actions.

This hospital isn't doing that. They're doing all they can to silence everyone, and keep this in the dark.

 

[JeannaT]

That's been my whole point all along - that we only have half the story (what the parents are saying). By law, the other side cannot comment on what's going on. And these other groups are not helping matters...

Yes, they can comment. They can make generic statements about what situations would typically cause them to sever parent's rights, and they can make a statement that if the parents sign over confidentiality rights, they can discuss this case further and defend their now bruised reputation.

But *crickets*

At this point, if I had a child with a very confusing diagnosis who has been to a lot of doctors to try to find answers, I would NEVER think of taking that child to Children's. Never. And I think if they don't get out in front of this, and attempt to clear their reputation, they will lose a vast amount of business from parents who have confusingly diagnosed children that the parents are seeking other answers for.

 

[i.b.nora]

One thing I don't think has been mentioned in this thread is the fact Justina had been seeing a clinical psychologist for 5 years, Dr Dean Hokanson. He's interviewed in the FOX CT's first story on Justina Pelletier. Dr Hokanson is quoted in the article saying, "they were actually being accused of being too active in pursuing healthcare matters for their child."

http://foxct.com/2013/11/19/hospita...-after-parents-argue-diagnosis/#ixzz2ufNajpql

If Justina had psychiatric needs before going to BCH, why wouldn't the psychologist who's treating her figure that out? He's not an MD, but psychologists actually speak to patients rather than just writing prescriptions for prozac. He'd treated her for 5 years vs 4 days BCH took to make the somatoform disorder.

Maybe because he seems to specialize in Bariatric Medicine?

(Bariatrics is the branch of medicine that deals with the causes, prevention, and treatment of obesity.)

https://www.itriagehealth.com/doctor/dr-dean-thomas-hokanson-1231814

Oh, wait! Further research indicates he specializes in ... everything!

 

[gitana1]

I know someone that suffered autoimmune encephalitis for years and years from a tick bite & Lyme disease. Sadly, I don't know if it was the length of time or what but she never recovered. She now has the mentality of a 6-7 year old on a good day.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Geez, that's very scary!

Update, seems like good news for the family. Maybe the public pressure is working.

From the article you cited, a couple things jump out at me:

The dropping of the contempt of court complaint comes after many First Amendment lawyers criticized the far-reaching nature of the judge’s gag order, which prevented the parties from saying virtually anything about the case, and suggested that it was likely unconstitutional in its scope.

That struck me too. It was one of the things that made feel hinky about what is happening to this family. That and banning the child's doctors from participating in any way in her case, giving input, going to meetings or testifying in the case. Something very wrong there.

This bothers me too:

Justina’s physicians at Tufts had been treating her for this illness for about a year, saying she exhibited many of its symptoms though they were still in the midst of determining whether she had a clear-cut case of this disorder. Then last February, Justina was brought to Children’s Hospital after suffering severe intestinal issues, and having trouble walking. Doctors there, in a matter of a few days, concluded that her problems were primarily psychiatric, and that her parents were ignoring the root cause of her problems and pushing for unnecessary medical interventions.

The parents may be crazy but these things should give every parent pause. I don;pt like how rapidly the hospital made up it;s mind and without talking with her doctor and refusing to discuss the case with him.

So the gag order's lifted?

Also the official quote from MA DCF, on Beau Berman's FB page.

And support builds for MA Rep Lyons' resolution to return Justina

No, it has not been lifted. DCF does not have the power to issue or withdraw gag orders. However, they are withdrawing their request that the court hold the dad in contempt for violating it.

<modsnip>

This is not a partisan case even if some political groups are getting involved. People from both the left and right are concerned with this family's rights or with what the parents may have been doing to the child.

This is a parental rights issue, government intrusion issue, constitutional law issue, child abuse issue, Munchausen by proxy issue. It is an interesting and troubling case and there is enough tension without making it political and insinuating that supporters of the family and of BCH/DCF likely have some kind of political agenda.

Can we try to not do that in here? Cases like this and Terry Schiavo's case become "furors" not because some political hack makes them so. They become big news because they address fundamental rights and fundamental questions of life, death and medical treatment that affect us all. These are the cases we should ALL be concerned about. I don't want such serious issues to be swept under the rug because it is inconvenient for a government entity or other party to have their decisions questioned.

Thank you.

 

[i.b.nora]

Here is the hospital's guide for parents.

"Helping with Your Child's Psychiatric Hospitalization: A practical Guide for Parents"

http://www.childrenshospital.org/~/...Psychiatry Inpatient Service/parentguide.ashx

 

[mitzi]

So the gag order's lifted?



Also the official quote from MA DCF, on Beau Berman's FB page.


And support builds for MA Rep Lyons' resolution to return Justina

Almost sounds like everybody is backing off, in hopes that that light doesn't shine too brightly on their mistakes.

 

[txsvicki]

So, hopefully they will transfer Justiina to Tufts where her Mito doctor can have some input and Justina will receive treatment and return home. I don't have the link, but one early article said that having her colon removed was considered before the cecostomy was performed for flushing. Having a colon removed would be very aggressive, and possibly things like that should be looked at. I still find it hard to believe that somatoform could cause so much constipation and be bad enough to consider a colon removal. Another article said she went a week sometimes between movements, and that's not really that bad. Not pleasant, but not something to be getting surgery over unless life is in danger. It's hard to tell just what is going on by reading the media reports.

 

[CathyinTexas]

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10201254603397480&set=gm.235802173210807&type=1&theater

This is the document that started all of this for Justina. The parents refused to agree to this. What parent wouldn't?

 

[IHAVENOCLUE]

I think many people reading this story are saying to themselves, "this CAN'T be happening as reported. There MUST be more to this story, and we just don't have any idea what that "more" is".

I am so glad the media is shining the spotlight on this story and bringing it to the light. If there is more to the story, say it.

I am just jumping in... have not read this whole thread...

But I, too, was wondering what the "whole" story was behind this baffling case...

I found the link below... And it answered some of my questions...

(I apologize if this has already been posted...)

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/12/15/justina/vnwzbbNdiodSD7WDTh6xZI/story.html

HTH...:seeya:

 

[CathyinTexas]

I am just jumping in... have not read this whole thread...

But I, too, was wondering what the "whole" story was behind this baffling case...

I found the link below... And it answered some of my questions...

(I apologize if this has already been posted...)

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/12/15/justina/vnwzbbNdiodSD7WDTh6xZI/story.html

HTH...:seeya:

If she didn't truly have psychiatric problems then (which I doubt she did) she will now because of what they did to her:

>
Her new home would be a private room in the 16-bed, fifth-floor unit at the northern end of the hospital. On Bader 5, the entry doors are locked at all times and sharp objects are prohibited. The days are regimented, with set times for wake-up and lights-out as well as tutoring sessions and communal meals.

Justina, the mild-mannered teen known for her sweet smiles, furiously resisted the move.

“She was visibly upset, stating she refused to go,” a clinician in the psychiatry unit wrote in the hospital record on April 9. “She stated she wanted to speak to her lawyer.”

Justina, who was desperate to return to school even if she was unable to walk, repeatedly told the Children’s team that she did not want to go into this ward. But, the record noted, she was informed that “she was not able to make this choice.”

Choices about her future were now in the hands of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.<


http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/12/15/justina/vnwzbbNdiodSD7WDTh6xZI/story.html

 

[jjenny]

The only thing these people appear to be "guilty" of is seeking (albeit agressivly) treatments for their sick child. DCF now agreed to have the child treated at Tufts. It doesn't look like the diagnosis at Children's did this child any good. It doesn't appear she is in good shape at all. So this doesn't look like the cause of Munchausen by proxy.
Considering how many children are actually abused, why doesn't DCF concentrate on them?

"Lou and Linda Pelletier last saw their daughter Friday afternoon, said Mahoney, their representative. Her condition is "not good physically, and we think that's one of the driving factors why DCF has given her care over to Tufts.""

http://www.courant.com/health/connecticut/hc-justina-pelletier-hearing-0304-20140303,0,636764.story

 

[Elley Mae]

DCF Working To Send Teen In Medical Dispute Back To Connecticut

http://boston.cbslocal.com/2014/02/...-teen-in-medical-dispute-back-to-connecticut/

The Massachusetts Department of Children and Families confirmed Friday it&#8217;s working to send a teenager at the center of a bitter state custody dispute back to her home state of Connecticut.

 

[ziggy]

In the end, I hope the doctor who declared her state as a mental one, the hospital who held her captive and CFS are held accountable. This case has really got me hot.

 

[kincaid]

Justina's father is speaking out.

Father demands state return sick teen

Family considers suit, group says

By Travis Andersen and Jim O&#8217;Sullivan | GLOBE STAFF MARCH 07, 2014

The father of Justina Pelletier, the Connecticut teenager at the center of a controversy over parental rights, renewed his family&#8217;s call Thursday to have her returned home, free from oversight by child protection officials in that state and Massachusetts.

&#8220;We want [the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families] to be out of our lives,&#8221; said Lou Pelletier, speaking publicly for the first time since a gag order was lifted in the case. &#8220;I don&#8217;t care whether it&#8217;s Connecticut, Massachusetts. . . . Make them go away. They&#8217;ve done nothing but harm.&#8221;


The Rev. Patrick Mahoney of the Christian Defense Coalition, one of several conservative groups backing the Pelletiers, reiterated at the State House briefing that the family is weighing legal action against DCF, which currently has custody of Justina, on the grounds that it violated federal law.

The case drew national attention last year when Boston Children&#8217;s Hospital lodged a &#8220;medical child abuse&#8221; complaint against Justina&#8217;s parents amid a dispute over her medical diagnosis, leading the state to take custody and keep her hospitalized for almost a year.

Officials at DCF have stressed that a state judge, not the agency, made the custody decision after court hearings and that Connecticut officials supported neglect allegations. They also say they are working with Justina&#8217;s parents and other parties to move her back to her home state and find appropriate services.

&#8220;Our goal has always been to work with Justina and her parents,&#8221; Alec Loftus, a DCF spokesman, said Thursday.

A plan to move Justina to a New Britain location fell through last summer, after her father threatened to sue the facility if it took his daughter.

Earlier this week, a juvenile court judge approved a plan to return Justina&#8217;s medical care to a Tufts Medical Center-led team, the family&#8217;s preferred provider.

The next court date is slated for March 17. A judge could ultimately decide to place the teen in her West Hartford home, a foster home, or a residential treatment facility.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/03/07/father-justina-pelletier-renews-call-bring-daughter-home-connecticut/hmflH1LIQITxrTf6UwbeGJ/story.html

 

[kincaid]

Another article (no pay wall)

http://connecticut.cbslocal.com/201...ather-speaks-on-massachusetts-custody-battle/

Few interesting quotes

We went on February 10th by ambulance on a snowy weekend, from Connecticut to Boston Children&#8217;s Hospital, where she was to be a direct admission to the GI floor. A very young neurologist came along and said &#8216;There&#8217;s no such thing as Mitochondrial disease.&#8217; He didn&#8217;t come out and say there was something mental, he just said we&#8217;re going to try a different approach, which we went along with. We were game, we were trying to get our daughter better.&#8221;
&#8220;After a few days, they still hadn&#8217;t spoken to the doctor that sent her there, Dr. Mark Korson, and more importantly the doctor she came to see was not allowed to see her, Dr Alex Flores,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;On February 13th, they gave my wife&#8211; who was staying there with her&#8211; this paper called &#8216;The Guidelines of Care for Justina Pelletier,&#8217; which violated just about every human and civil right you could think of&#8211; You were not allowed to speak to any other doctors, there would be no more diagnosing going on&#8230; this was all Boston Children&#8217;s Hospital.

But Pelletier won&#8217;t rest until Justina is back in her family&#8217;s custody. &#8220;She is still at the Wayside facility,&#8221; he explained. &#8220;Massachusetts DCF is still in charge&#8230; they are now talking about having her go back in control of her Tufts doctor, basically admitting they were wrong. Yet while admitting they were wrong, they don&#8217;t want to release custody. At best they&#8217;re thinking of having her be transferred from Massachusetts DCF to Connecticut DCF. I&#8217;m furious, because we&#8217;ve done nothing wrong.&#8221;

 

[kincaid]

Justina's father's busy giving interviews now that the gag order is lifted. Another article

http://www.myfoxboston.com/story/24...iers-father-speaks-out-after-gag-order-lifted

One interesting quote

Lou Pelletier told FOX 25 that he believes the way DCF has treated his family over the past year has been beyond inexcusable, and they never even did their homework before taking his daughter away.

"Do you realize in 13 months, Boston Children's accusations and DCF, DCF of Massachusetts has never been to our house, never seen our doggies, our yard, our pool in the backyard, never talked to our neighbors, never did anything. They were judge, jury and executioner," he said.

 

[CathyinTexas]

Justina's father's busy giving interviews now that the gag order is lifted. Another article

http://www.myfoxboston.com/story/24...iers-father-speaks-out-after-gag-order-lifted

One interesting quote

I thought it was telling that Lou Pellitier said while addressing legislators that thousands of families have contacted him about similar allegations and that when he gets Justina back he will have a mission to help them. He is an amazing man. This family did nothing wrong. All evidence point to a very loving family. These girls have the best of everything in my opinion, most importantly parents that unconditionally love them and care for them.