Custody case of Justina Pelletier

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#21
I was about to post the same article, Linds. I read about munchausen by proxy and parents putting their children through all kinds of unneeded medical care just for the attention. The poor kid, if that's truly what was happening. :(
 

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#22
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#23
I refuse to jump to conclusions seeing how little actual facts are being presented and the way it's very, very one sided.

That being said, I thought this Slate article did a really good job showing more than one side so I thought I would throw it into this thread.

http://www.slate.com/articles/healt...ease_boston_children_s_hospital_suspects.html
This article does nothing to sway my opinion. I usually am very much in favor of wanting more info and not jumping to conclusions, but in this case I am not. It is wrong. Maybe there is "medical child abuse" and if there is, the hospital should be able to prove that without a shadow of any doubt whatsoever and do it quickly. If they can't I'm siding with the parents every single time.

Sometimes kids are born to crappy parents, sometimes those parents just don't agree with you, some kids are wonderful, some are horrible, some grow up to be awesome, some we wish never were born. and everything in between.

None of this extremely vague stuff about a study not large enough or significant enough to even warrant a publication, let alone citing as a reason to take away a child. Or "the child's mood improved when the mother left the room" Ok, then show us, not me necessarily, but a panel of independent psych docs and convince them. NOW.

It's a scary world when a doctor can use something like that as an excuse and turn a family's world upside down. A parent should have absolutely 100% control over their own child's medical choices/decisions/treatments/etc. 100% and if they're going to remove those, then the hospital should have to prove without any shadow of any doubt that they are right, and everyone else is wrong.

I really, really don't want to live in a world where a doctor can say some vague stuff and have your child taken away because you don't agree with them. I'd like to think most others don't either.
 

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#24
This article does nothing to sway my opinion. I usually am very much in favor of wanting more info and not jumping to conclusions, but in this case I am not. It is wrong. Maybe there is "medical child abuse" and if there is, the hospital should be able to prove that without a shadow of any doubt whatsoever and do it quickly. If they can't I'm siding with the parents every single time.

Sometimes kids are born to crappy parents, sometimes those parents just don't agree with you, some kids are wonderful, some are horrible, some grow up to be awesome, some we wish never were born. and everything in between.

None of this extremely vague stuff about a study not large enough or significant enough to even warrant a publication, let alone citing as a reason to take away a child. Or "the child's mood improved when the mother left the room" Ok, then show us, not me necessarily, but a panel of independent psych docs and convince them. NOW.

It's a scary world when a doctor can use something like that as an excuse and turn a family's world upside down. A parent should have absolutely 100% control over their own child's medical choices/decisions/treatments/etc. 100% and if they're going to remove those, then the hospital should have to prove without any shadow of any doubt that they are right, and everyone else is wrong.

I really, really don't want to live in a world where a doctor can say some vague stuff and have your child taken away because you don't agree with them. I'd like to think most others don't either.
This 100%!!!!!!!!
 

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#25
So this case aside, how much medical say SHOULD a parent have when it comes to their child? Should they allowed to let the child die of a treatable disease because they don't want to take the child to a doctor? Should they be able to withhold medical treatment for broken bones? Should there ever be an exception to parents having 100% control over a child's medical care?
 

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#26
So this case aside, how much medical say SHOULD a parent have when it comes to their child? Should they allowed to let the child die of a treatable disease because they don't want to take the child to a doctor? Should they be able to withhold medical treatment for broken bones? Should there ever be an exception to parents having 100% control over a child's medical care?
This was my thought as well - what about the parents who refuse to treat their kids for religious reasons? I've seen way too many stories like this: http://time.com/8750/faith-healing-parents-jailed-after-second-childs-death/
 

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#27
Depends on the age of the child. I feel that a child should be able
TO decide if they don't want to undergo chemo anymore or other harsh medical treatments for terminal illnesses (and this had been contested and forced upon teens who have decided to not take the regular
Course anymore).

Young children, I would say if the
Doctors
Could prove without a doubt that there is medical abuse where the parents aren't seeking any alternative to a broken bone... Perhaps.

I mean, I broke my leg when I was 8. I refused to go to the hospital and fought it with everything in me. Finally after almost 12 hours my mom forced me to
Go but not before some "well if your leg is fine, then go to bed". Should she be punished for not rushing me right away? NO, she was and is a wonderful mother with a stubborn child. Had anyone made an issue about the length of time
To get me to the hospital they would be making a HUGE mistake!

I don't believe they should be able to take a Child over a differing of diagnosis from a different hospital.
 
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#28
So this case aside, how much medical say SHOULD a parent have when it comes to their child? Should they allowed to let the child die of a treatable disease because they don't want to take the child to a doctor? Should they be able to withhold medical treatment for broken bones? Should there ever be an exception to parents having 100% control over a child's medical care?
how much? all of it. Period. I don't know of any religious or person stances in this country where casting or setting a bone is withheld because of real convictions and genuine concern for the child, but if there were, I'd be ok with them witholding care too. I'd find it incredibly misguided, but they aren't my kids. I hate to break it to the rest of the world, but hundreds of thousands of people are killed every year in this country due to medical treatments too. Not malpractice mind you, the legitimate and proper use of medical care still kills people, kids included. No matter what YOU think of the risks, it should not be YOUR place to make anyone else's decision.

If the state can prove the parents were withholding care simply because they didn't give a **** about their kid, then charge the heck out of them, run them thru and throw them away.

The flip side is you have adoptive parents or foster parents who are threatened with having their children taken because of refusing something as silly as a flu shot.

I guess if you're a just go with the flow, do whatever they tell me, and not take any proactive role the decision making for your self or child, this issue probably isn't a big deal. For the rest of us, it's kind of scary.
 
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#29
I guess if you're a just go with the flow, do whatever they tell me, and not take any proactive role the decision making for your self or child, this issue probably isn't a big deal. For the rest of us, it's kind of scary.
An ad hominem AND a false dichotomy in one sentence. Logical fallacy win!!


There is middle ground between complete hands off and "they're coming for your children!!!" The fact that this is an unusual, newsworthy event makes me wonder what's going on that the world doesn't know about. The parents can say anything they like, while the hospital's lips are sealed due to confidentiality laws. There's a lot of doctor ego tied up with the original diagnosis, too - those doctors don't necessarily have the girl's best interest at heart but they're thinking about their reputations.

Someday it will all come out in the wash, but I don't think the sky is falling for John and Jane Q Public and their kids with scraped knees.
 
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#30
so I win? Awesome


anyway, the hospitals lips aren't sealed, they took control of the child, they have the rights, they can say whatever they want. or don't they have control of the child? What did the court say?

So now doctors with egos trump the wishes of parents? Even better
 
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#31
anyway, the hospitals lips aren't sealed, they took control of the child, they have the rights, they can say whatever they want.
No, they can't. Have you ever heard of HIPPA? :confused:

So now doctors with egos trump the wishes of parents? Even better
I was talking about the original Tufts doctor, which is why I specified that I was talking about the original diagnosis. But it's interesting that your mind went there instead of to what I actually wrote. :(
 
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#32
Give me a HIPPA lecture, this outta be good :) I've sat thru more of those than I care to admit to, but go ahead, and tell me more. Does the state have custody of the child at this point? or do the parents? They can release whatever they want. I've done more than just hear about this thing called HIPPA.


and who says the first diagnosis was wrong? who says the 2nd one was right? where is the proof this child is getting better and who do they have to show? maybe they are both wrong? What did the court say?
 
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#33
So this case aside, how much medical say SHOULD a parent have when it comes to their child? Should they allowed to let the child die of a treatable disease because they don't want to take the child to a doctor? Should they be able to withhold medical treatment for broken bones? Should there ever be an exception to parents having 100% control over a child's medical care?
This is the crux....and I just don't know.

There are some really bad parents out there...and I do NOT want to live in a society where we turn our backs and say well, they are the parents so they get the only and final say ALWAYS.

HOwever, I also have a chronically ill brother with and extremely rare disease and have first hand knowledge how hard a parent has to fight and advocate sometimes. I understand that many drs really do have a god complex. I personally do NOT follow a standard medical protocol with myself or my children and do many things that are not the "norm". Someone on the outside should not be able to trump the parents except is VERY extreme circumstances ....and I have no idea where that line is or how to really prove it.
 
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#37
for her to be released. I just wish there was more info. Like this article states the parents have changed enough to allow their daughter to come home. Ok, that's all well and good, but how did Brittany change? Is she better? How did that year locked up in your psych ward affect her positively? I mean they basically said the parents were the cause and the other doctors were wrong, she better have gotten better, but I guess the sad fact is we'll never know.

The parents don't say anything other than what they want them to say, or she'll be taken again. Not saying there is anything more to say, but even if there was, we'd never hear it.
 

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#38
for her to be released. I just wish there was more info. Like this article states the parents have changed enough to allow their daughter to come home. Ok, that's all well and good, but how did Brittany change? Is she better? How did that year locked up in your psych ward affect her positively? I mean they basically said the parents were the cause and the other doctors were wrong, she better have gotten better, but I guess the sad fact is we'll never know.

The parents don't say anything other than what they want them to say, or she'll be taken again. Not saying there is anything more to say, but even if there was, we'd never hear it.
Yes, I agree with what you are saying! It sure doesn't LOOK like she's gotten better and she had no friends, no family, no schooling... NOTHING for over a year. I can't figure out how they did better than the abuse the parents and other doctors were accused. BUT that's speculation I suppose.

I suspect there will be lawsuits. BCH already has a few lawsuits for the exact same thing from other families
 

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