Judge Reportedly Open to Justina Pelletier Returning Home to West Hartford

At the closed-door hearing this week, Juvenile Court Judge Joseph Johnston reportedly spoke about a plan by the state Department of Children and Families to transfer Pelletier to Shared Living Collaborative in Merrimac, Mass. The facility has backed away from the idea, though, because of the highly contentious nature of the case, sources told Boston.com & The Boston Globe.

Meanwhile, one of the sources told Boston.com that the judge on Monday expressed openness to allowing Justina to return home in West Hartford home to live with her parents, as long as certain oversight conditions were met. Lawyers representing Pelletier’s parents are expected to help look into such a plan and report back to the court on March 17.

Pelletier, who has been diagnosed and treated by Tufts Medical Center doctors for mitochondrial disorder, a rare genetic disease, was sent to Boston Children’s Hospital for a bout with the flu in February 2013. Her regular doctor was unavailable at the time.

Doctors at Boston Children’s Hospital reportedly disagreed with the diagnosis and instead diagnosed Pelletier with somatoform disorder, a mental illness characterized by pain and gastrointestinal symptoms that have no identifiable physical cause.

The Massachusetts Department of Children and Families then took custody of Justina when the Pelletiers disagreed with Pelletier’s treatment.

• West Hartford's Justina Pelletier to Leave Boston Children's Hospital [Updated]
  
  
• Will West Hartford's Justina Pelletier Ever Be Released?
  
  
• West Hartford's Justina Pelletier Transfered to New Facility