This is a quick update for you, as I just read some good news. (Thank you, Kimberly, for helping me stay on top of this story!)
Apparently Justina Pelletier's Dad's choice to risk jail time for contempt (he was ordered not to speak about the case!) was a wise move, as it caught major news attention and then the attention of Massachusetts lawmakers.
“The self-stated goal of the Department of Children and Families is to strengthen the link between families. Removing a child from her family is reserved for only the most egregious circumstances where evidence of malicious intent, negligence or the blatant inability to care for the child is present. No such findings are present in this case,” (Representative) Lombardo said in a release. (Source)
If you haven't been following the story, you'll recall that all of this happened because her parents disagreed with the doctors on Justina's diagnosis and treatment…
When her parents reportedly disagreed and asked for a second opinion, they lost custody of their daughter. DCF was called in after just four days. The parents haven't had custody since last February.
“The Pelletier case is a dispute between conflicting medical opinions,” (Representative) Lyons said in a release. “In my opinion, the decision on which medical treatment to adopt should rest with the parents, not with DCF. The Department's heavy-handed, unjustified interference with the rights of these parents is an example of what is wrong with this agency.”
Yes, a lawmaker said that, Hallelujah!
Just one scary case?
If you think this is a unique case, sadly, you're wrong. It's sad and it's frightening, but it's not unique.
I have two close friends who are dealing with similar issues right now. One is fighting the docs who believe his child needs some very invasive procedures; after hours of research he blatantly disagrees and feels they are unnecessary. Now, due to some things that have been said and the way things have been handled, he's nervous about where this will go… (Just what you need when your child is sick, another thing to worry about!) The other is a friend whose doctor wants to put their child with occasional Crohns flare-ups on a Ensure calorie shake. They've said, “We'll make our own shake recipe, then, Ensure's is full of crap.” The doc has said no way, it has to be that one, and that if they continue to fight him, he'll drop them from his practice.
I wish I was kidding!!!
- Read my previous post about this case and more cases of CPS abuse: Children taken from parents over disagreement with hospital — “I'm going to grab your baby and don't fight me, OK?”
- And the original post here: Parents lose custody for being too active in pursuing health care matters for their child
Reporter1 says
We wanted to add what we found so disgusting about this. After over a week of research, we uncovered why this is happening at Boston Children’s Hospital. It is all about the money, and in Boston, politics is money. This whole thing was the only way that the BCH could keep its Psych ward filled as no insurance company would pay for their “quackery” when there was a legitimate medical diagnosis. There was no question after our research that BCH and the Mass. Dept. Family & Children (under investigation for other matters), were making a fortune on this scam, and we have found at least five other almost identical cases. Then look at the Doctors involved and the stories we found in in Physiology Today and the New York Times. We should give a parental warning, but prepare to be outraged: https://uswatchdogs.net/2014/03/29/judge-joseph-f-johnston-cowardly-lion-massachusetts/. We’re also putting up an online petition this afternoon to help get this child back to her parents.
Larrry Willson says
Since this costs the state of Mass to provide this care, it’s not about the money; that is not quite the most ridiculous notion made about this, but it’s close.
FYI, there is no shortage of crazy people; the vast majority of institutions are turning the majority of candidates away, not looking for customers…and you fail to recall that the hospital attempted to discharge Justina months before, but no one would take her because her parents were threatening to sue everyone.
Your “research” is garbage.
Danette Rieckhoff says
I got sucked in by another troll. Rats. Ugh.
Larry Willson says
No chance you would even attempt to address the issue instead of hiding behind the troll defense? Looks rather lazy to me.
Danette Rieckhoff says
Larry Willson- If that is even legal to post that information about them, it is very poor judgement and bad manners. Anyone with a chronically ill child has dealt with financial difficulties, sometimes severe.
Larry Willson says
Entirely legal. Every bit of this information is public record. What’s interesting to me is that the talking heads have all ignored this family’s history in the pursuit of ratings.
Bad manners my asz; we are talking about a family that know have been revealed to have lied to Glenn Beck who are presenting with a history of irresponsible behavior long before Justina was ever diagnosed with Mitochondrial disorder. Lou Pelletier claimed to Beck that all of her interventions were approved by insurance; if that is the case, then why have two other hospitals filed liens against their home? Along with several other providers?
Now read the complaint the family filed against Luke Bittner and tell me that Linda’s description of the lifelong emotional suffering she expects to experience over whiplash sounds like someone who is honest and levelheaded. If she can turn whiplash into PTSD, then imagine what she can do with a child with a vague set of symptoms.
If you refuse to at least consider that this family has a history of questionable behavior, then you are an enabler, and with a vulnerable child no less.
Larry Willson says
Current agencies that have posted a lien against the Pelletier’s $458,000 dollar 11-room Connecticut home with a pool that they haven’t made payments on since 2007.
1. US Gov’t for unpaid federal taxes (2006, one year before Justina was diagnosed).
2. State of Connecticut for unpaid taxes (2007).
3. Connecticut Children’s Hospital (2004 and 2006).
4. Hartford Hospital (2004 and 2006).
5. Jefferson Radiology (2007).
6. Open MRI of Middletown (2008).
7. CT Valley Chiropractic (2009)
8. Viking Fuel Oil (2007).
9. Veterinary Specialists of Connecticut (2009).
10. Connecticut Light & Power (2011) $17grand in unpaid utilities.
Those are just the agencies that have actually pursued them for non-payment (two of them are hospitals, which makes me wonder if Tufts was trying to get rid of them by pawning them off to Boston Children’s because Tufts wasn’t getting paid, either). And a family that can convince everyone that they have a medically fragile child can use the legal system to avoid being kicked out of a house they aren’t paying for, on land that they are not paying their taxes on, using utilities that they aren’t paying for. The preservation of Justina’s diagnosis is literally worth over a half-million dollars to this family.
How Linda Pelletier describes a neck injury after someone rear ends her car stopped on high-way off-ramp.
https://civilinquiry.jud.ct.gov/DocumentInquiry/DocumentInquiry.aspx?DocumentNo=7241402
Anyone who experiences that kind of lifetime emotional distress over the simple fact of being rear ended in a car accident is suspect regarding mental fitness to be a good mother.
Reporter1 says
I find it very interesting that you made this post and that you made it here. It sure looks like you have been cutting and pasting this at every site with a story on this matter. You obviously have an interest in this matter or you would have first found out if the family’s financial trouble came from the treatment of their daughter. My guess, you’re an attorney or one of the quacks associated with Boston Children’s Hospital. It looks like you, or someone you work for, paid for a credit report. So why don’t you come clean, who do you work for? Did you get paid to “stuff” this comments box? Why don’t you back up your claim as we did when we found undeniable proof that BCH and the Doctors from the Psych department couldn’t get paid from any viable insurance company, so they are literately lining their pockets by kidnapping children from their parents and then having cowardly judges like Judge Joseph Johnston make the taxpayers of Massachusetts pay their bills: https://uswatchdogs.net/2014/03/29/judge-joseph-f-johnston-cowardly-lion-massachusetts/
Why don’t you write back when you uncover all of the facts, or do you just get paid to “paste” someone else’s opinion?
Larry Willson says
Someone posted, I responded. What’s so “interesting” about that?
I cut and paste this everywhere, because sharing the allegation results in vicious accusations and ignorant comments. When people are presented with the information, they lose all skills of rational dialogue or just walk away. The truth stings.
My interest in this matter is no different than those who talk about it (like you) and who failed to educate themselves in this family’s history.
It’s impossible to make the claim that this family’s “financial trouble” came from the “treatment of their daughter,” for two reasons. First, Lou claimed on several networks that her care was covered by insurance, using that as his justification for the treatment she received. Second, they stopped paying their mortgage, utilities, and about a half-dozen other bills several years before Justina became “ill” or was diagnosed. Yet they continued to buy more expensive cars than most Americans and continued to live in the half-million dollar home they still reside in today. Connecticut law prohibits utility companies from shutting off their utilities as long as they can convince the court that they have a medically-fragile child in the house, and the family has managed to avoid sheriff’s sale on their foreclosed home for six years now.
The information is PUBLIC RECORD, but people are TOO AFRAID to do the search themselves because it is NOT AT ALL helpful to the preconceived notions they’ve developed about this story.
The irony is that you are challenging me to do something you clearly haven’t done yourself, something I have gone much further than you in doing.
Scott says
“The other is a friend whose doctor wants to put their child with occasional Crohns flare-ups on a Ensure calorie shake. They’ve said, “We’ll make our own shake recipe, then, Ensure’s is full of crap.” The doc has said no way, it has to be that one, and that if they continue to fight him, he’ll drop them from his practice.”
Easy solution. Find another doctor. Investigate ahead of time (without getting into cases) that the new doctor respects their wishes to avoid chemical food additives and excessive pharmacological treatments.
Reporter1 says
Remember when people had to be accountable for their actions? The United States Watchdogs (www.uswatchdogs.net) and the Freedom Network and its related websites are about this one simple principle. If a trusted official breaks the trust of his or her office, the Freedom Network will put a spotlight on that person which won’t dim until his or her bad acts are accounted for and rectified.
We just published a story on Judge Joseph Johnston. In that story, we announced our intentions to publish stories about the people who, in our opinion, “kidnapped” Justina Pelletier from her family. Those people include the doctor who called in Social Services, the Social Services Agents and the attorneys who prosecuted the case. We will also take great care in getting their sides of the story.
If you doubt the effectiveness of the spotlight we shine, search the Internet for “Judge Christopher Muse”, another bad Massachusetts judge. We have also been part of an effort to bring a corrupt attorney, Lorraine Rosenfeld, to justice. Her crimes include targeting senior citizens as her clients and stealing rent checks intended for them. Search for “Rosenfeld” on uswatchdogs.net to find related stories.
We want to help you get Justina Pelletier back to her family. Even more, we want to make sure that this never happens to anyone again. While we know that is a near impossible goal, we also know that when someone is held accountable for their actions, and those actions are in the public eye, they tend to be much more careful about the decisions they make.
The U.S. Freedom Network News sites (currently nine of them and growing) are based offshore in Amsterdam. We don’t tolerate anything immoral or illegal on these sites and each and every story must be based on documented facts. We publish stories and name names about those who violate their positions in government or corporations. We do so with vigor and fortitude.
Once again, history repeats itself and we, like so many before us, are an anonymous organization offering a place where a free people can speak out against tyranny and injustice without fear of an IRS audit, visit by one of Holder’s henchmen or a politically motivated Judge. We are at a sad point in our nation’s history where Americans need to seek asylum in Amsterdam in order to feel safe enough to speak out freely against their Government and those who hold positions of power.
We are about to open a new Master News site for the U.S. Freedom Network which will offer, at no charge, a protected blog in Amsterdam. If you’re interested, please let us know on our contact page: https://uswatchdogs.net/about/contact-us/.
In regards to the Justina Pelletier case, any information you can provide as to who the parties are or someone you think would like to talk to us, please let us know. Also see our
“Contribute” page at: https://uswatchdogs.net/about/contribute/
“Freedom Network” page at: https://uswatchdogs.net/about/freedom-network-page/
“Contact Us” page at: https://uswatchdogs.net/about/contact-us/
All are available from the “About” menu at uswatchdogs.net. I mention this as we can set up secure communications with you or anyone who you think could benefit from our organization.
Thanks for reading this,
Reporter1
Danette Rieckhoff says
Praying she gets home soon so she can heal!
Marion Harvie says
Do what I do, just nod your head, say yes, then go home and give the child your home made shake. Just because the doc gives you a prescription doesn’t mean you have to use it.
Kim says
This is great news for the Pelletiers. As for your friend whose child has Crohn’s…they’re better off without that doctor! I have Crohn’s, and you couldn’t pay me to drink that crap so a doctor’s threat to drop me certainly wouldn’t do it!!! I’m thankful to have always had awesome gastroenterologists who were supportive of my decisions to try this or that to address this crappy (literally) disease.