MARTY G'S WIFE, DANA, SPEAKS OUT ABOUT MARTY'S FIGHT AGAINST CHILD ABUSE!

BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL UNDER INVESTIGATION BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH IN MASSACHUSETTS!

Website "Lifting the Veil" reports as follow:

"The Massachusetts Department of Public Health is set to investigate a complaint filed by a Boston Attorney against Boston Children’s Hospital and its “Bader 5” Psychiatric Unit.

According to a January 31 posting by reporter Beau Berman – who broke the story leading to the complaint – the Department of Public Health has confirmed that it is assigning an investigator to review the complaint

For the benefit of those unfamiliar with the case, in February 2013, 15-year-old Justina Pelletier was checked into Boston Children’s Hospital with flu-like symptoms by her parents. Prior to her admission, Justina had been undergoing treatments for Mitochondrial Disorder at Tufts Medical Center in Boston..."

READ MORE:

http://blog.liftingtheveil.org/2014/02/03/boston-childrens-hospital-to-be-investigated-by-department-of-public-health/

THE VALLEY PATRIOT REPORTS JUSTINA'S FATHER AND SISTER SPEAK UP IN SUPPORT OF JUSTINA'S LAW!

Bharani Padmanabhan of The Valley Patriot reports as follows:

"Valley Patriot readers may be familiar with the 17 month long ordeal suffered by young Justina Pelletier at the hands of the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF) and the huge effort it took from 100,000 ordinary people from across this great land who came together to finally rescue her and return her to the loving arms of her parents and sisters. The VP was present when Justina finally returned home almost exactly one year ago on June 18th, 2014. 

Today Justina’s father Lou and elder sister Jennifer returned to Massachusetts to testify at a public hearing at the State House in support of House Bill 1469 – An Act called Justina’s Law – filed by Marc Lombardo, Representative (R) for Billerica and supported by James Lyons, Representative (R) for Andover.  Besides the members of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary, in attendance were also Senator Linda Dean Campbell (D) of Methuen and Keiko Orall, Representative (R) for Lakeville. 

Lou and Jennifer were accompanied by Attorney Philip Moran who ended up representing the family in court last year after Judge Joseph Johnston refused to allow the parents to be represented by the lawyer they chose – Dean Staver from Liberty Counsel..."

Read More:

http://valleypatriot.com/pelletier-family-gives-powerful-testimony-in-support-of-justinas-law/

PLEASE SUPPORT JUSTINA'S LAW!

For an update and call to action regarding Justina's Law which would forbid medical experimentation on foster children, please click on the link below:

https://www.votervoice.net/RMC/Petitions/642/Respond?vvsn=BAAAAAkIAECKAA2Y9HN7FAA

"JUSTINA'S LAW" WOULD MAKE IT ILLEGAL FOR STATES TO USE FOSTER CHILDREN AS GUINEA PIGS IN RESEARCH EXPERIMENTS!

According to Abigail Wilkinson, journalist for CNS News, "(CNSNews.com) --  Justina Pelletier, the Connecticut teenager who was confined to the psychiatric ward of a Boston hospital without her family’s consent for nearly a year, recalled her ordeal at a news conference on Capitol Hill Thursday to promote a bill bearing her name.

“Justina’s Law,” introduced last month by Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN), would protect wards of the state from being used as human guinea pigs by medical researchers."

 

For more information on Justina's Law, please click on the link below:

 

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/abigail-wilkinson/justina-s-law-would-protect-wards-state-being-used-medical-guinea

DOCTOR ASSOCIATED WITH THE JUSTINA PELLETIER CASE ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR ADDITIONAL DAMAGE IN ANOTHER CASE!

"The Boston Herald" reports as follows:

"Gerry Leone’s last act as Middlesex district attorney was to charge Aisling Brady McCarthy, better known as “The Irish Nanny,” with the murder of Rehma Sabir, the 1-year-old girl in her care.

Leone’s high-profile finale was based entirely on the word of Dr. Alice Newton, who, back in January of 2013, ran Children’s Hospital Child Protection Program.

Dr. Newton wasted no time in determining Rehma’s death was the result of shaken baby syndrome — which could only have been caused by her caregiver, McCarthy.

In the last 20 months two things have happened: McCarthy has languished in jail. And Newton has emerged as the controversial — some would say despised — focus of the Justina Pelletier case."

For more information on this situation, please click on the link below:

http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/columnists/peter_gelzinis/2014/08/gelzinis_doctor_s_link_to_justina_pelletier_casts

JUSTINA PELLETIER RECEIVES WELL DESERVED ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FROM CONGRESS!

Journalist Kathleen Schassler of "West Hartford News" reports as follows:

JUSTINA PELLETIER BRINGS CONGRESS TO ITS FEET:

"Home less than a month, Justina Pelletier received a standing ovation on Wednesday from about 70 members of Congress during a whirlwind trip to Washington D.C. to push for a new bill nicknamed "Justina's Law."

Justina traveled with family to advocate for the bill, aimed at protecting children from a fate similar to one Justina just endured, according to the family.

Introduced by U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, (R-Minn) and co-sponsored by U.S. Rep. John Larson, (D-1st District), the bill seeks to ban federal funding for medical experiments on children who are wards of the state."

For more information on this issue, please click on the link below:

http://www.westhartfordnews.com/articles/2014/07/18/news/doc53c91df1ca5d2167703554.txt#.U9ESR8MCOzE.facebook

PELLETIER FAMILY SPEAKS ABOUT JUSTINA'S RETURN HOME AND THEIR ORDEAL!

To see this interview, click on the link below:


http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/hannity/transcript/2014/06/19/pelletier-family-reacts-justinas-long-journey-home

JUSTINA PELLETIER GETS GREEN LIGHT TO RETURN HOME TO HER LOVING FAMILY: ANNE STEVENSON REPORTS ON THIS BREAKING NEWS!

This news in from investigative reporter, Anne Stevenson,  "BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, June 17, 2014 –  Communities Digital News has from the family that  Jennifer Pelletier had planned to spend the next three days in front of the Suffolk County Juvenile Court with hundreds of child welfare advocates protesting for her younger sister’s release from State care, but now it appears that those efforts may not be needed.

After over 18 brutal months in the custody of the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families, Jennifer says the Commonwealth of Massachusetts will return Justina to the family tomorrow, Wednesday, June 18, 2014.

“I find that the parties have shown by credible evidence that circumstances have changed since the adjudication on Dec. 20, 2013, that Justina is a child in need of care and protection pursuant to G.L. c. 199, 24-26.,” Judge Joseph Johnston wrote in the ruling. “Effective Wednesday, June 18, 2014, this care and protection petition is dismissed and custody of Justina is returned to her parents, Lou and Linda Pelletier.”

For more information, please click on the link below:

http://www.commdiginews.com/life/exclusive-breaking-news-justina-pelletier-finally-going-home-19739/#R5sTmPGqHcrclIsX.99

THE BOSTON GLOBE REPORTS JUSTINA PELLETIER SPENT FATHER'S DAY WITH HER DAD!

The Boston Globe reports, "A Connecticut teenager at the center of a 16-month custody battle involving the Massachusetts child protection agency was allowed to spend Father’s Day at home without any state supervision, a sign that her parents may be on the brink of getting full custody of her. “She came home, and we did a barbecue,” Lou Pelletier, her father, said in a telephone interview Sunday night from the family’s West Hartford home.

Pelletier said his wife, Linda, who has been staying at a hotel near Justina’s residential treatment center in Thompson, Conn., drove the 16-year-old to the family home early Sunday afternoon. Justina then went with family members to a Cirque du Soleil show, followed by a dinner barbecue at the house with her parents and her three sisters."

For more information, please click on the link below:

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/06/15/justina-pelletier-spends-father-day-with-her-family-home/Mg9ecnlpuYCJW9DiPMe4cN/story.html

LIBERTY COUNSEL ANNOUNCES THAT JUSTINA PELLETIER WILL BE HOME SOON!

Apparently, Massachusetts HHS has filed papers to allow Justina to return to her parents.  For more information on this breaking story, please click on the link below:

http://www.lc.org/index.cfm?PID=14100&PRID=1448

LATEST UPDATE ON JUSTINA PELLETIER AS OF MAY 17, 2014!

BEAU BERMAN OF FOX CONNECTICUT REPORTS ON JUSTINA'S RETURN TO THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT!

To listen to the broadcast regarding Justina Pelletier's return to Connecticut, please click on the link below:

http://foxct.com/2014/05/12/justina-pelletier-moved-to-connecticut-facility/

LINDA PELLETIER SPEAKS OUT ABOUT BEING DENIED ACCESS TO HER CHILD ON MOTHER'S DAY!

DIVORCE IN CONNECTICUT ENDORSES WEST HARTFORD, CT PARENTS LOU AND LINDA PELLETIER!

For several years, Justina Pelletier of West Hartford had been in the care of Dr. Mark Korsen of Tufts University Medical Center with a diagnosis of Mitochondrial Disorder. 

 

Last February 2013, Justina had a downturn as the result of the flu and was referred to a gastroenterologist at Boston Children's Hospital for treatment. However, once Justina was admitted to Boston Children's Hospital, the medical staff there decided that all Justina had was Somatoform Disorder or hypochondria and refused to provide her with the necessary treatment she required. 

 

Dissatisfied with this mental health diagnosis, Mr. and Mrs. Pelletier sought to remove their daughter from the hospital and have her return to Tufts for treatment.  However, when they tried to do that, Boston Children's Hospital called security and filed a report against the Pelletiers, accusing them of medical child abuse. 

 

DCF then had Justina committed to the psychiatric ward of Boston Children Hospital for a year.  Subsequently, she was transferred to a group psychiatric facility for young people known as "Wayside" in Framingham, MA.  

 

During all this time, Justina received no treatment for her Mitochondrial Disorder and became increasingly weaker.  "She is going off a cliff," Lou Pelletier said of his daughter, who is now confined to a wheelchair. "She looks awful and is pale and her hair is falling out. Her gums are receding and she has no body strength."  

 

Before this crisis, the West Hartford, CT teen had lived an active life and film clips of her ice skating in the weeks before ending up at Boston Children's Hospital have been widely distributed on the internet. 

 

On March 25, 2014, Judge Joseph Johnson, a Massachusetts judge gave permanent custody of Justina to Massachusetts DCF stating that Mass. DCF will make the decision as to whether Justina is ready to be returned to her family. 

 

Of course,  the irony is that Justina Pelletier is not even a Massachusetts citizen!  She is a resident of Connecticut! 

 

While the Massachusetts DCF did all that it could to pass this case on to the Connecticut DCF, that agency didn't want to have anything to do with the case. 

 

Why? 

 

Because it is clear that the situation with Justina Pelletier is a complete embarrassment and a disgrace to the State of Massachusetts, to Boston Children's Hospital itself, as well as to Judge Joseph Johnson. 

 

Even more absurd is that there are now plans in place for Justina to be transferred to the Susan Wayne Center For Excellence here in CT.  But even though she will be in CT, she will still be in the custody of Massachusetts DCF.  In my view, that is a violation of the jurisdictional authority of the State of Connecticut.  I would be interested in obtaining some legal commentary regarding that point from readers who have a legal background.

 

Ultimately, Parents have a constitutional right to make medical decisions in regard to their own children, and I would state, Parents have that right particularly when their decisions are backed up by respected medical authorities such as the doctors at Tufts University. 

 

In another ironic twist to this story, Mr. and Mrs. Pelletier have been required to return to the treatment provided at Tufts University, their original treatment providers, in order to regain custody of their child. 

 

This is a clear cut case of government intrusion and interference, of psychiatric wrongdoing, and an organized smear campaign to destroy Mr. and Mrs. Pelletier's excellent reputation as parents. 

 

Consequently, Divorce in Connecticut stands fully behind Mr. and Mrs. Pelletier in their fight to bring Justina back home.  I understand Justina crossed the border back into Connecticut today.  Welcome Home! Justina!

Special Note:  I know many individuals have fought hard on behalf of Justina Pelletier, and I want to than them for all their hard work.  I also wanted to commend the strength and courage of Rev. Patrick Mahoney in speaking the truth to power to legislators, to the Governor of Massachusetts, and to all the people who need to hear this story and take the right action to bring Justina home.

"LIFE NEWS" REPORTS THAT WAYSIDE REFUSED TO LET LINDA PELLETIER SEE JUSTINA ON MOTHER'S DAY!

LIFE NEWS reports that the Department of Children and Families (DCF) denied the meeting for Linda Pelletier to be with Justina after a request was submitted by the Pelletier’s attorneys.

Tragically this continues a trend by DCF which has not allowed Justina to be with her family on special holidays and occasions in the past which also included Mother’s Day last year.

For more information on this story, please click on the link below:

http://www.lifenews.com/2014/05/11/dcf-refuses-to-let-justina-pelletier-be-with-her-mother-on-mothers-day/

SHEILA HARRINGTON ON THE JUSTINA PELLETIER AMENDMENT!

REP. JIM LYONS SPEAKS ON BEHALF OF JUSTINA PELLETIER!

CONGRESSMAN STEVE STOCKMAN PROPOSES PARENTAL RIGHTS LEGISLATION!

LIBERTY COUNSEL AND LOU PELLETIER RESPOND TO MASS. DCF REUNIFICATION PLAN!

Massachusetts Department of Health and Human Services Secretary John Polanowicz released a plan to reunify Justina with her family, but it has significant issues that must be addressed. Liberty Counsel believes that it would be ideal to get Justina to Connecticut, if these concerns are handled.

Pelletier Response to Polanowicz Plan

The Pelletier family is extremely disheartened to learn that the draft May 5, 2014, Polanowicz Plan for returning Justina was released to media prior to the Pelletiers' meeting with Secretary Polanowicz. The Pelletiers had hoped to continue negotiations in good faith in private, as had been indicated previously by DHS.

Liberty Counsel has reviewed the plan that was announced to the Pelletiers today by Secretary Polanowicz. While it is a good "baby step" in the right direction, Liberty Counsel and the Pelletier family still have several very significant concerns.

First, the statement in the Plan that "only the Juvenile Court has the authority to determine when and if custody should be returned" is inaccurate. DCF’s own regulations for case closure make it abundantly clear that it is within DCF's power to end this situation immediately. If DCF walked into court tomorrow morning, and informed the judge that they were no longer objecting to a return of Justina to her loving parents in Connecticut, this case would be closed within hours. Moreover, the DCF regulations explicitly state that DCF "does have the option to close cases by administrative decision without court action" even if their custody is based on a court order. The notion that this is all out of DCF's hands is demonstrably wrong.

Medical treatment: The Polanowicz Plan requirement that the Pelletiers "Follow through with the Tufts Medical Center Plan" is perhaps the most concerning, because the Pelletiers have no control over Justina's medical care; they have no say in it whatsoever. Moreover, they have consistently been denied any information about Justina's medical condition by DCF. All information about Justina's condition has come through Justina or some other source. It has never come directly through Justina's doctors, because DCF has forbidden them from speaking with the Pelletiers. DCF has even ignored Judge Johnston's order of Tufts medical supervision and direction.

Therefore, the Pelletiers must be assured of the following: 1) DCF itself will follow Tufts Medical Center guidance in all aspects, giving Tufts complete control over Justina's care in all areas, including scheduling of appointments, medical procedures, and other issues identified by Tufts Medical Center. 2) The Pelletiers be given accurate information and open lines of communication with Tufts Medical Center health providers, to determine what Tufts Medical Center (and Dr. Mark Korson) believes to be necessary for Justina's medical future.

Another medical treatment concern is that the Polanowicz Plan proposes that Justina be housed at the behavioral issues wing of the JRI Susan Wayne Center for Excellence, instead of a rehab therapy center such as Gaylord Rehabilitation Center, or the Hospital for Special Care, both of which are staffed with medical professionals and are also convenient for family visitation. Justina does not need more "behavioral modification" - she needs medical treatment and physical therapy, to say nothing of her educational and social needs.

Educational needs: In regard to Justina's education, Glenn McGrath, Director of Pupil Services for the West Hartford Public Schools, would like for Justina to be able to receive continued education assessments, and ideally, return to class immediately. While the family would like Justina returned directly to their custody, a suitable private foster care provider within the greater West Hartford area would enable Justina's educational and social needs provided by the West Hartford Public Schools to resume immediately. While the Susan Wayne Center for Excellence may be a good institution appropriate to Justina's needs in other aspects, its location is too far away from the West Hartford Public Schools to address Justina's educational and school socialization needs.

Visitation with Family: The Polanowicz Plan has not addressed Justina's social needs in regard to family visitation, either at the Susan Wayne Center, or with a foster family or care center within the West Hartford area as described above. Justina has been constantly subjected to less-favorable visitation rights than other children who have surrounded her. Justina must be allowed much more frequent visitation. Ideally, visitation with her parents should occur whenever she desires, and whenever the family's schedule permits. Emotional support by her family, after 15 months' separation, is critical to her emotional well-being.

No timeline for goals: A final significant concern relates to the Plan's open-ended nature - given that nearly 15 months have passed since Justina was removed from her parents' custody, DCF's history in this case elicits serious concerns about the lack of specific deadlines.

If these concerns are adequately addressed, the Pelletiers believe that significant progress can be made toward the resolution of Justina's medical needs, and the return of Justina to her loving family.