Posted on 01/03/2007 1:14:08 PM PST by Lorianne
SEATTLE — This is about Ashley's dignity. Everybody examining her case seems to agree at least about that.
Ashley is a 9-year-old girl who has static encephalopathy, a severe brain impairment. She cannot walk or talk. She cannot keep her head up, roll over or sit up by herself. She is fed with a tube. Her parents call her "Pillow Angel" because she stays right where they place her, usually on a pillow.
Her parents say they feared that their angel would become too big one day — too big to lift, too big to move, too big to take along on a family outing.
And so they decided to keep her small.
In a highly unusual case that is stirring ethical debate in the medical community and elsewhere, doctors at Seattle Children's Hospital and the parents involved are describing how Ashley has received treatment over the last few years designed to stunt her growth.
The treatment, known as "growth attenuation," is expected to keep Ashley's height at about 4 feet 5 and her weight at about 75 pounds for the rest of her life. Doctors expect her to have a normal lifespan. Had she not been given the treatment, doctors estimate, she would have grown into a woman of average height and weight — about 5 feet 6 and 125 pounds.
The parents' decision has drawn criticism and even outrage from some doctors and caregivers, who say such treatment is a violation of a person's dignity. Some say it's also a violation of the medical oath: First do no harm.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
There are some things that are clearly none of my business. This is one if them.
Wow. What an ethical swamp. I can't imagine what this thread will be like.
Just suppose that Ashley was a "normal" girl. If she wanted huge breasts, a different nose, liposuction to remove 20 lbs. of fat, or if she wanted to chop everything off and become "Ashton", nobody would say boo. They'd tune in to the reality shows and cheer her on...
I'm guessing that you've never been around a child like this, her parents have been dealing with her condition since the day of her birth. I think they know what they're doing by now.
No, it's you who don't understand. This benefits the girl, if it were to benefit the parents they would have institutionalized her years ago.
Bless you for your loving care of your son!
Very sad situation. But for the grace of God...
It's a tough choice. But the parents clearly love their child and the girl will do far better growing up with loving parents than in a state nursing home of some sort.
I can't second guess them.
Didn't we just see an episode of House where a woman was doing nearly the same thing to her daughter so she would be a "little person" like her husband and herself?
I wish my sister's appetite for cookies was better! She's never cared for sweets, and has to be almost force-fed!
No, she had a tumor on her pituatary gland that had stunted her growth. The mother and daughter considered not removing it so that she would stay small. Sorry, I am quite addicted to House!
Strangers feel free to judge the sacrifices made by others, the choices to preserve life, and to encourage ending life that doesn't meet their personal standards.
There is no wonder life is so cheap on the streets. We teach our children that life is expendable.
You are a shining example of what love is all about.
You're a good mom.
God bless you for caring for your sister!
God bless you! What a great heart you have!
"This is sick!"
Now that we are all impressed by your heightened sense of morality, why don't you stop to deliberate the insanity of what you have uttered.
Your right. They should let their daughter grow and get the state to pay for the additional help and care their daughter will need. Once they can't take care of her due to her size, they can send her to a institution so she can be taken care of.
Or they made their decision which will help the parents to continue to take care of their daughter at home.
I'm shocked that a family would actually try to take care of their disabled daughter nowadays. /s
"Now that we are all impressed by your heightened sense of morality, why don't you stop to deliberate the insanity of what you have uttered."
Playing god and keeping a child small for the CONVENIENCE of the parents is "compassionate"?
I say it's SICK.
I say it's playing god.
I say it selfishness at it's worst.
I'm sick and tired of people trying to justify selfishness as "compassion" - it's SICK. It's ungodly. If God wanted her small, He'd have made her stay that way.
No, I don't share YOUR immoral, self centered view of "compassion" twisted on its head.
If they really want to care for her, they will.
Why do you assume the STATE must step in?
I see ... another one hooked on the government will make it better. Entitlement minded ... so sad.
This young girl has a normal life expectancy according to the doctors, yet she will never learn the skills most people do. Instead of institutionalizing her so the other children would have a normal life, they have agreed to years of feeding, potty detail, bathing, dressing and other duties too numerous to mention. How do you see that as convenient??
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