PAX Centurion - March / April 2014

www.bppa.org PAX CENTURION • March/April 2014 • Page 33 Attention To all members of the Boston Police Relief Association – Active Duty or Retired If you need to change your beneficiary or you are not sure of who your beneficiary is you can contact the relief office at 617-364-9565. If you leave a message your call will be returned and if necessary the paperwork will be sent out to you. Thank you. William F. Carroll, Clerk, Boston Police Relief Association Free Justina Pelletier NOW!!! By P.O. Jay Moccia I n a depressing case of what I opine is judicial/government over-reach a Massachusetts judge has granted custody of a Con- necticut teen to the Department of Children and Families, after her parents disagreed with doctors at Children’s Hospital(CH). Just a quick recap: Justina Pelletier was diagnosed with mitochondrial disease, and after consulting with her doctors in CT, she was referred to Tufts Medical Center (TMC) in Boston. While at TMC, Justina was referred to Children’s to meet with a specialist there. She never saw that specialist. One of the first doctors to see her at CH opined Justina was misdiagnosed, and her disease was all in her head, and began treatment toward that diagnosis. Justina’s parents immediately sought to get her back to TMC, but the CH doc filed a 51A and involved the Mass Department of Children and Families-you know the organization that has lost over 100 chil- dren under its care, allows kids to live with convicted sex offenders, and may be complicit in the presumed death of a five year old child- THAT DCF! The case went to court and DCF presented evidence that the Pelletier’s were abusive to CH staff while their daughter is getting treatment there. They are accused of using foul language directed at the doctors, and nurses who continue to treat Justina according to their diagnosis-even as her health fades. (Author’s Note: gentle read- ers, I ask you, if your loved one was in a similar circumstance would you drop an “F” bomb or two?) Also, it should be noted that when DCF needs medical advice on a case it relies on-wait for it…wait for it…none other than …Children’s Hospital. Can you spell “conflict of interest” boys and girls? The court awarded temporary custody to the DCF, and the Pelletier’s were allowed a 1 hour weekly supervised visit-replete with Mass State Police on scene. The Pelletier’s appealed which brings us back to Judge Joe Johnston’s ruling, after over one year of legal sparring, between the DCF, CH, and the Pelletiers. All while this poor girl’s health worsens. The latest volley comes from the CT DCF who claims they were not involved because there was no evidence of abuse on the part of Linda and Lou Pelletier. Now as cops we tend to be a little cynical, and as I did, thought there MUST BE more to this story. But, there isn’t-it appears the Pelletier’s are decent folks, who have just been following their doctor’s advice, and trying to do what’s best for their daughter. Even Uber-Liberal Alan Dershowitz has offered to assist Lou and Linda Pelletier in their custody battle with DCF. When a guy that far left weighs in, you know The State is out of control. A differ- ence of opinion between two doctors regarding the care of a minor child should not be decided by the courts, or some over-worked bureaucrat at DCF, it should be the parents’ call. Massachusetts is truly a land of shameless cowardly liberals, who could care less about the well being of a child. I urge anyone who reads this to call or email your local Legislators, the Governor (if he’s not off on some “trade mission”) Boston Children’s Hospital, and the DCF to express your displeasure with how this is being handled. Imagine losing custody of your child because you took her to the hospital in accordance with the medical advice you were given. The Pelletiers could be any one of us, and it’s time we help them.