A teenage girl who was held at a hospital for 16 months against her will has been admitted to a specialist facility after her chronic condition deteriorated. Justina Pelletier, 16, who suffers from Mitochondrial Disease, was taken to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia last week for more extensive tests after being admitted to Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital in September because she was unable to eat. Miss Pelletier, from West Hartford, Connecticut, is being fed intravenously as she undergoes testing at the hospital, one of the country's top pediatric units. Justina Pelletier, 16, (pictured last month) who suffers from Mitochondrial Disease, was taken to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia last week after suffering acute gastrointestinal distress in September . Justina with her older sister Jennifer on Halloween at Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital where she was admitted with acute gastrointestinal distress . The girl's father, Lou Pelletier,  told the Boston Globe that he and his wife Linda were confident in both hospitals' care of their daughter and she was only transferred to Philadelphia because they have expertise in her condition. Her treatment is ongoing and it has not yet been decided when she will be discharged. Miss Pelletier was at the center of a custody battle for 16 months with Boston Children's Hospital last year. She first checked into the Boston hospital in February 2013 with flu-like symptoms. But her family became embroiled in a custody battle with the state when hospital staff insisted her genetic muscular condition was in fact a stress-related mental disease caused by domestic abuse. Mitochondrial Disease is notoriously difficult to diagnose and support groups claim many sufferers are accused of fraud or their parents accused of abuse. The teenager was held in a psychiatric ward where she claimed hospital staff were 'mean and nasty' and accused her of faking her condition, the family said. They told her she had Somatoform Disorder, which is considered to be anxiety-related with sufferers feeling real pain that cannot be medically explained. Justina's family insisted she did not have Somatoform Disorder symptoms when she was admitted to Boston Children's Hospital. She was banned from seeing her family without a welfare supervisor or hospital staff member in the room. She was rarely allowed outside for fresh air and spent most of her time in a small room. She was finally allowed to go home in June of this year. The 16-year-old had been at home for four months with her family and had been celebrating her birthday in September with 100 friends and relatives when her condition worsened and she was rehospitalized. Miss Pelletier, pictured with mom Linda, was at the center of a custody battle for 16 months with Boston Children's Hospital . Justina Pelletier was diagnosed with Mitochondrial Disease several years ago, a genetic condition that affects muscle coordination and mobility. The illness includes a group of neuromuscular diseases caused by damage to intracellular structures that produce energy. There is no cure for the condition that is progressive and can cause death. Symptoms can include weakness, intolerance for exercise, heart failure, dementia and rhythm disturbances. Every year 1,000 to 4,000 children in the U.S. are born with a mitochondrial disease. After being admitted to Boston Children's Hospital in February 2013, doctors concluded Miss Pelletier was suffering from Somafotorm disorder, a psychological condition that causes sufferers to feel pain, although there is no physical cause. Sufferers do not feign the physical symptoms they feel, rather they present themselves as the result of mental strain. Doctors cannot identify the sources of patients' pain and instead prescribe anti-depressants. Patients can become increasingly frustrated with the diagnosis as there is seemingly no explanation for their symptoms. Experts estimate that between 0.2 and 2 per cent of females and less than 0.2. per cent of men in the U.S. suffer from the condition.
Justina Pelletier, 16, was taken to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia last week for specialist testing for acute gastrointestinal distress .
The teen, who has Mitochondrial Disease, went to Boston Children's Hospital with flu in Feb 2013 but doctors accused her of faking the disease .
She was held against her and her parents' will for 16 months after staff believed her condition was psychological brought on by domestic abuse .
She was released from psychiatric ward in Boston in June this year .
The teen's condition deteriorated in September and she was readmitted to Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital .
A teenage girl who was held at a hospital for 16 months against her will has been admitted to a specialist facility after her chronic condition deteriorated. Justina Pelletier, 16, who suffers from Mitochondrial Disease, was taken to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia last week for more extensive tests after being admitted to Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital in September because she was unable to eat. Miss Pelletier, from West Hartford, Connecticut, is being fed intravenously as she undergoes testing at the hospital, one of the country's top pediatric units. Justina Pelletier, 16, (pictured last month) who suffers from Mitochondrial Disease, was taken to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia last week after suffering acute gastrointestinal distress in September . Justina with her older sister Jennifer on Halloween at Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital where she was admitted with acute gastrointestinal distress . The girl's father, Lou Pelletier,  told the Boston Globe that he and his wife Linda were confident in both hospitals' care of their daughter and she was only transferred to Philadelphia because they have expertise in her condition. Her treatment is ongoing and it has not yet been decided when she will be discharged. Miss Pelletier was at the center of a custody battle for 16 months with Boston Children's Hospital last year. She first checked into the Boston hospital in February 2013 with flu-like symptoms. But her family became embroiled in a custody battle with the state when hospital staff insisted her genetic muscular condition was in fact a stress-related mental disease caused by domestic abuse. Mitochondrial Disease is notoriously difficult to diagnose and support groups claim many sufferers are accused of fraud or their parents accused of abuse. The teenager was held in a psychiatric ward where she claimed hospital staff were 'mean and nasty' and accused her of faking her condition, the family said. They told her she had Somatoform Disorder, which is considered to be anxiety-related with sufferers feeling real pain that cannot be medically explained. Justina's family insisted she did not have Somatoform Disorder symptoms when she was admitted to Boston Children's Hospital. She was banned from seeing her family without a welfare supervisor or hospital staff member in the room. She was rarely allowed outside for fresh air and spent most of her time in a small room. She was finally allowed to go home in June of this year. The 16-year-old had been at home for four months with her family and had been celebrating her birthday in September with 100 friends and relatives when her condition worsened and she was rehospitalized. Miss Pelletier, pictured with mom Linda, was at the center of a custody battle for 16 months with Boston Children's Hospital . Justina Pelletier was diagnosed with Mitochondrial Disease several years ago, a genetic condition that affects muscle coordination and mobility. The illness includes a group of neuromuscular diseases caused by damage to intracellular structures that produce energy. There is no cure for the condition that is progressive and can cause death. Symptoms can include weakness, intolerance for exercise, heart failure, dementia and rhythm disturbances. Every year 1,000 to 4,000 children in the U.S. are born with a mitochondrial disease. After being admitted to Boston Children's Hospital in February 2013, doctors concluded Miss Pelletier was suffering from Somafotorm disorder, a psychological condition that causes sufferers to feel pain, although there is no physical cause. Sufferers do not feign the physical symptoms they feel, rather they present themselves as the result of mental strain. Doctors cannot identify the sources of patients' pain and instead prescribe anti-depressants. Patients can become increasingly frustrated with the diagnosis as there is seemingly no explanation for their symptoms. Experts estimate that between 0.2 and 2 per cent of females and less than 0.2. per cent of men in the U.S. suffer from the condition.
months against her will has been admitted to a deteriorated. Justina Pelletier, 16, who suffers from Mitochondrial Disease, was taken to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia last week to Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital in gastrointestinal distress in September . Justina was admitted with acute gastrointestinal distress battle for 16 months with Boston Children's domestic abuse. Mitochondrial Disease is was held in a psychiatric ward where she claimed her of faking her condition, the family said. when she was admitted to Boston Children's home in June of this year. The 16-year-old had Children's Hospital in February 2013, doctors