They brought her from Connecticut to Children's in an ambulance that night. The resident in charge of overnight admissions that night was a recent med school grad in psychiatry. He consulted with his "mentor" in the psych department and she had Justina admitted to the psych unit on the grounds that she actually suffered from somatoform disorder (a disorder this doctor has published papers about, claiming that 50% of pediatric illnesses are really somatoform disorder). They never let her see the GI doctor. When the parents insisted on continuing the treatment she had been receiving, Children's psych department called in DCF (apparently the only agency in MA that still has the right to impose the death penalty -- see their history for the last 3 years). DCF took custody and determined Children's psych department could keep "treating" her.
When the parents got a hearing before a judge, even the court-appointed guardian ad litem argued for returning Justina to the custody of her parents. The judge gave no weight to the testimony of the Tufts doctor (who is under a gag order). When the judge handed down his decision (after an unexplained delay of about a week IIRC, he awarded "permanent" custody to DCF, on the grounds -- he argued -- that the father had called DCF people "Nazis" and other terms of abuse. (IF you don't want to be called a Nazi, a good first step is not to act like one!)
You realize that by the time of the hearing, this had been going on over a year. Her parents were allowed one hour a week visitation in the presence off DCF people and an armed guard. In all this time Justina received no education (as required by state law), no opportunity to attend Mass or see a priest.
You haven’t been following the story, have you?
This is the first I am hearing about it. Thank you for the overview. It does seem like an unfair situation. Hopefully some resolution will happen.