Ashley X- Pillow Angel
I need to do some thinking on this one. The story is here, and here. I’ve read debates and comments in various places, but this one grabbed my attention. In case you missed it, this is what’s happened.
Along with hormone doses to limit her growth, Ashley’s parents also opted for surgery to block breast growth and had her uterus and appendix removed.
They say the treatment will help to improve her quality of life.
Ashley is 9 years old and has static encephalopathy, a rare brain condition which will not improve.. The doctors claim she has the mental abilities of a 3 month old infant and can not walk, talk, lift and hold her head or swallow solid food effectively. So they are stunting her growth to keep her small and manageable. They have had her juvenile breast buds surgically removes so her breasts never grow. They have removed her uterus to prevent puberty and menstruation.
My gut reaction here is one of sheer horror, it all just feels so very very wrong. I’d call it mutilation. But I don’t have a disabled child. I don’t live with that every day. Who am I to judge?
But today, I was browsing round a blogring I am on and I found this. Sharon says in the comments:
I don’t know where this ‘mind of a 3 month old’ statement is coming from. How do they know? Just because she cannot speak doesn’t mean she can’t communicate. Lots of people with experience of autism know that. She is so young and may still develop further, given the right support.
But whether she does or not, the rights of a person with a severe developmental disability should still be protected. They should have protection from such mutilation for such spurious reasons.
I need to ponder further as I am simply not qualified or experienced enough here to comment properly. But I just had to say something.
Thanks for the mention. Something I didn’t write about on my blog, but have discussed elsewhere is the fact that these parents consider this to be a pioneering treatment, that other will want to copy them. They’ve coined the name ‘Ashley treatment’ to make it easy for others to remember and find out about. It would probably be cheaper for providers of services to disabled people if more parents opted for this surgery and hormone treatment than it would be to provide adequate technological and personnel support.
Comment by sharon — January 6, 2007 @ 3:32 pm