Staff Writer, DL Mullan
Medicine / News / Parental Rights
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What action is too far? When do hospitals have more rights than parents? Should hospital executives be arrested and sent to jail for gross misconduct and kidnapping?
Meet Justina Pelletier, she is a vivacious, loving 15 year old girl, now being imprisoned by Boston Hospital. Her crime? The hospital staff didn't agree with her doctors' diagnosis of a mitochondrial disorder and instead are treating her for a mental illness that she does not have.
Why does she not have a mental disorder that creates her symptoms instead of the original diagnosis? Well for one thing, Justina has been in the hospital for 10 months without resolution of her medical issues. If she were cured because of her parents or a mental illness, then she would have been released by now and a case against her parents would be apparent.
But there is NO case. Her parents were following the medical advice of her specialist: Mark Korson, M.D. of Tufts Medical Center.
Mark Korson graduated from the University of Toronto medical school and completed his pediatric residency nearby at The Hospital for Sick Children. He came to Boston to do a fellowship in genetics and metabolism at Children's Hospital. Following that, he directed the Metabolism Clinic at Children's until 2000, transferring then to Tufts Medical Center's Floating Hospital for Children. He is currently the Director of the Metabolism Service and an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Tufts University School of Medicine.So it's not like the Pelletier's were just making up Justina's diagnosis, her parents were following the advice of a prominent specialist in this field.
Yet, that fact is not enough, nor is Justina's medical history. Facts seem to fuel the illegal stance of the hospital, not put it out.
Why not?
A report, written in April 2013 by one of the hospital's staff states how doctors took Justina off many of the medications she was taking at the time she was admitted.So if you are not neglecting your daughter's medical treatment, then your parental rights are taken away in four days because some other doctor who does not know anything about a case, now takes control over your child's treatment?
'Due to concerns regarding Justina’s regressive behavior changes around her family, the multiple medical procedures and care episodes she has been through … and both parents’ resistance towards recommended treatment plans for Justina … a child protection team was convened,' it read.
The hospital has taken her off her necessary medications and is treating her for mental illness.
'It's the most bizarre situation I've ever been involved with,' said Dean Hokanson, Justina's clinical psychologist.Again, the parents are taking all the necessary steps to safeguard their child's physical and mental health and still are treated like criminals. All the while, Boston Hospital has re-diagnosed her, kept her as a prisoner, taken her off the medication she needs, and now treats her as a mental patient?
'They were actually being accused of being too active in pursuing healthcare matters for their child,' said Hokanson who has been involved with the Pelletier family for five years.
Who has the Munchhausen syndrome? Control issues? Is too involved with Justina's treatment? Boston Hospital.
Sounds like hospital staff need to be arrested. A hearing on the matter is set for December 5, 2013. Will a judge finally have the courage to set this teenager free?
If the hospital has not cured Justina, then those involved need to do jail time. 10 months away from family (except once a week with two 20 minute phone calls, all supervised), friends, school, and her activities, yes, someone needs to go to jail.
This article has not even begun to discuss the millions of dollars the parents probably now owe Boston Hospital for 24 hour care, 10 months of security and maintenance fees, doctor's bills, treatment fees, pharmaceutical costs... need more be said?
After kidnapping their child without any real investigation into her medical issues, the Pelletier family will be bankrupted by the system that stole their daughter without cause.
Unbelievable.
Want to do something about this case and others around the country where doctors and hospitals are stepping over the line? Then you can start here:
Visit Justina's Facebook page at:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Miracle-for-...
Call the Boston Children's Main Switchboard and register your complaint!
617-355-6000 Send your emails to:
media.relations@childrens.harvard.edu
Source: Natural News, DailyMail , Mitoaction
