Jennifer Pelletier, oldest sister of Justina, shares at State House rally

Lawmakers, Justina's older sister, weigh in at the State House rally

Transcription from Jennifer Pelletier’s address to the rally in front of the MA State House, April 29, 2014:

“Thank you, everyone, for coming out and supporting my little sister, it means a lot to me to see all of you out here this day, weather wise.  But this is insane this can happen in the United States to a child that comes from an extremely loving family and an extremely loving support system, but is not being allowed to see her family, it’s also been with her friends as well.  Just recently, she was allowed to talk to a few of her friends for maybe like eight minutes.  A teenager should be allowed to talk with any of her friends and her family for no matter how long of a . . . period of time.  This is insane that this could happen.  This is insane that she could be tortured in America.”

“She never has been looked into why she has lost her ability to walk under the state of MA care.  Every day that goes by is another day that’s lost to regain the function of her legs.  She has never been looked into.  And Justina wants to walk again, she wants to skate again.  She wants to have a trampoline put in her back yard so she can get her legs stronger.  How is this a child that does not want to – you know – this is insane, this is not a psychosomatic diagnosis.  Justina has true medical issues.  All of her medical issues have been diagnosed by professionals over at Tufts and back in Connecticut as well.  She had a stroke at a young age.  Justina has memory loss, like short term memory problems.  Justina’s also been denied her education.  She’s on an IEP from the town of W. Hartford; she’s supposed to have year round schooling.  That’s been completely taken away from her.  Justina’s asked to go to school, she’s asked to go back to her school in Ct along w her friends.  That’s been taken away from her as well, along with family time, birthdays, holidays, time with my grandmother – Justina used to play rummy, a card game Justina used to play with my grandmother daily, they had an ongoing path.  She’s not played that card game with my grandmother since before Feb. 10th 2013.  My grandmother’s 93.  That time is something you cannot make up.  Along with, you know, time with her pets – one of her pets has passed away since this has happened, Justina didn’t even get to say goodbye and we haven’t even been able to tell her that her cat, Mittens, passed away, because we’re not allowed to even discuss our animals or pets medical with her.

 How is this allowed to happen in the United States?   My grandparents, my mom’s parents, they left the Czech Republic when there was Communism.  They left to get away from all of that.  My grandmother said that this is worse than what she went through over there, so for my grandmother to have to actually have to relive to see all this, when this is supposed to be, you know, a good time of her life, and she’s been crying almost daily. 

“To see what this has done to my family, the emotional toll, the nightmare, it’s insane, I don’t know how anybody can allow this level of cruelty to go on.   For him [the governor] to allow this, for him to go back to both of his two huge houses, and not have . . . I don’t understand.  He’s with it, it’s all it takes is him to, you know, . . .  he can free her within an hour.  I don’t know what he’s been doing these past  - it’s almost been going on fifteen months.  This is insane, this is beyond cruel, this is inhumane.  This is a child that should deserve to live her life, to be allowed to go freely  on – whether its going on social media, going to the mall with her friends, being able for me to take her on shopping trips like we used to.  Or I used to teach her in figure skating.  So this is disgusting, that this is allowed to be going on.  At this point, I don’t even know – I’ve said it before I’ve said it to the Boston Children Hospital workers, I’ve said it to the DCF workers, I’ve said it online to Deval, because that’s the closest I’ve been able to get in touch w Governor Patrick, he won’t talk to me.  I don’t know how any of these people can go home and sleep at night knowing what they’re doing to torture a child.  Along with her family, her friends, her whole surroundings.  But I truly thank all of you for supporting my sister – it means so much, and the numbers keep growing, and I think the numbers need to keep growing in awareness, because this should not be allowed to go on in America with anybody.  No child should be taken away from their family when they have a loving family.”

“I myself have offered, I’ve said it  . . . towards the beginning,  I’m  her older sister, I have offered to take care of my sister, I have offered to take care of her in Connecticut, I said, ‘I’ll move to Massachusetts to take care of my sister’, I said it to Justina’s attorney, I said it to Boston Children’s, I’ve said it to the DCF workers, and to the other attorneys, and that was completely never even tried, so, I know they’re supposed to keep a child with their family first, and that never happened.  Let alone, I never met one of the DCF workers until April, which was two months in, and they never came and even came to our home, my mom’s even offered to do a barbecue for them.  So, bottom line is, this should have never happened, this should have never even gone past day one.  And I thank you all for supporting my sister, it means a lot.”

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