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Peacock is all set to premiere The Battle for Justina Pelletier, a docuseries on the infamous case surrounding the young Justina Pelletier, on December 13.
The case saw a 14-year-old girl snatched away from her family by the Boston Children's Hospital, who suspected a case of Munchausen by proxy, where a caregiver or parent induces or causes symptoms in a child despite the child being physically healthy.
The hospital, with the help of relevant authorities, managed to take custody of Justina Pelletier and keep her in their psychiatric ward for 10 months before a court ordered her release. She later claimed that the time away from her family in a psychiatric ward did more damage than good. Additionally, Justina Pelletier's family sued the hospital unsuccessfully for violating their civil rights.
The main crisis lay in the fact that the hospital thought Justina had a case of Munchausen by proxy. Not many would be familiar with this rare psychological condition that is completely induced.
Ahead of the premiere of The Battle for Justina Pelletier, here are all the details you need about the disease.
What is the disease that Justina Pelletier was diagnosed with by the Boston Children's Hospital?
To clarify things before moving on to the disease, Pelletier was diagnosed with Munchausen by proxy only by the Boston Children's Hospital. Two years before her parents took her to the hospital, she was diagnosed with mitochondrial disease by Tufts Medical Center in Boston.
Munchausen by proxy falls under the greater sphere of Munchausen Syndrome, where a patient pretends to be ill or deliberately produces symptoms of an illness despite having no physical problems. It is a type of psychological disorder. Cleveland Clinic describes the disease as:
"Munchausen syndrome (factitious disorder imposed on self) is when someone tries to get attention and sympathy by falsifying, inducing, and/or exaggerating an illness. They lie about symptoms, sabotage medical tests (like putting blood in their urine), or harm themselves to get the symptoms. Diagnosing and treating Munchausen syndrome is difficult because of the person’s dishonesty."
The particular disorder that Justina Pelletier was diagnosed with by the Boston Children's Hospital was Munchausen by proxy, a form of child abuse where a parent or caregiver induces these symptoms in the child, or causes them, resulting in a twisted psychological condition in the patient. This is also known as Factitious disorder imposed on another (FDIA).
Cleveland Clinic describes this disorder as:
"Factitious disorder imposed on another (FDIA) formerly Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSP) is a mental illness in which a person acts as if an individual he or she is caring for has a physical or mental illness when the person is not really sick."
It was later confirmed that Pelletier was not a victim of this disorder. She had a rare genetic condition that required treatment. Despite the Pelletiers suing the Boston Children's Hospital, the court eventually found them 'not guilty' of medical malpractice.
Years later, Justina now lives a normal life, having significantly improved with therapies and medication.
The Battle for Justina Pelletier will cover this case in detail when it premieres on December 13, 2022, on Peacock.
