Remember Justina Pelletier? She’s the 15 year old who was diagnosed with Mitochondrial Disease in 2012. In February 2013 she was taken to Boston’s Children’s Hospital because of the flu. There her diagnosis was replaced with somatoform disorder, a psychiatric condition. When her parents disagreed, Justina was removed from their custody and the next month a judge granted the Department of Children and Families permanent custody of Justina. Her regular medical team nor her parents were able to convince the State of Massachusetts that they were wrong. This nightmare went on for 490 days, while Justina’s physical condition continued to deteriorate. She is now safely home with her parents and under the care of her regular medical team.

Here in the US parents are losing the right to raise their own children.