**Justina's Story**
On February 10, 2013 Justina's doctors sent her to Boston Children"s Hospital to receive their prescribed treatment for symptoms of Mitochondrial Disease, which had evolved following a flu-like illness. Justina's GI specialist had transferred from Tufts to Boston Children's Hospital (BCH) and was expecting to admit her under his care,
Instead, a BCH neurologist intercepted the direct admission, asserting "Mitochondrial Disease does not exist", and supporting a young psychologist's premature diagnosis: "Undifferentiated Somatoform Disorder", meaning it was psychosomatic or "all in her head."
When Justina's parents disagreed with the 'new' diagnosis and treatment plan presented to them on day 3 of Justina's hospital admission, the admitting physician ignored their concerns and asserted himself as the ultimate authority on Justina, The Pelletiers were instructed in writing that they could not be in contact with any of Justina's doctors, nor could they seek the medical care they trusted prior to coming to BCH.
On February 14, day 4, Justina's parents formally requested a transfer for their daughter- asserting their parental right to make medical decisions for their daughter, including discharge from BCH. Rather than acknowledge parental rights and demonstrate respect for parents dealing with their daughter's long standing medical problems, BCH petitioned for the Department of Children & Families (DCF) to seize custody of Justina, which was granted in court the next day.
Since February 15th, BCH has exerted control over all aspects of Justina's health care and her life-- BCH executed the traumatic separation of Justina from her family, friends and trusted doctors and continues to use coercion and force to treat Justina -- against her will.
Now in addition they have only let her family see her for an hour a week and only two people can visit her and they are supervised. There are only two twenty minute phone calls a week which are supervised as well. She has even had her rights taken away by not even allowing her to talk to any of her friends. She cannot speak out for what she wants and how she feels! To this point there has been no investigation by Mass DCF of her family. Now they have been threatening her and the family that she will never go home and will be put in foster care. Her health has gone downhill without her medical treatment and where she was skating before she is now not able to walk and in a wheelchair. She is scared and wants to come home!
Justina's supportive community is expanding to meet the daunting challenge of exposing the egregious human rights violations committed by world renowned BCH and their cohorts, the Department of Children and Families in MA. This costly battle is fueled by the love and commitment of Justina's family , friends and those who have been inspired to fight against this injustice through close connection to their story.
Only through exposure and accountability of BCH and DCF for the pain and suffering they have caused Justina and her family can we hope to secure protection of our own rights!!
Tax deductible donations to support Justina's parents' efforts to rescue her can be made at www.freejustina.com.
Also, PsychRights is selling #FreeJustina T-Shirts with the profits to go to the Free Justina nonprofit.
The Twitter hastag for the Free Justina effort is #FreeJustina.
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