Parents freeze their disabled daughter in time.

[Dizzy]

This is a very thought provoking story.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/wo...ther_multiline

Opinion was divided yesterday about the case of Ashley X, the nine-year- old girl whom doctors have determined will never grow up. The severely disabled child has had her womb and breasts removed and hormone treatment to halt puberty and stunt her growth, freezing her development so that her parents can continue to lift and care for her at home.

[puppydog]

Honestly, I don't see anything wrong with it. The child is catatonic. It makes no difference to her at all yet it makes the world of difference to her parents.

[Kat09Tails]

This was a local story a few years ago. I admit it was very controversial but IMO the best thing was done for that kid and her quality of life.

[ACooper]

This quote from the story sums it up for me:

Unless you are living the experience, you are speculating and you have no clue what it is like to be the bedridden child or their care givers.

I honestly haven't a clue what I would do in that situation, and I sure don't want to speculate about what THEY should/shouldn't do. As a parent myself, I am sure they agonized over the decision for a long time before reaching it. My heart goes out to them.

[Dizzy]

I am totally on the fence with it... But some part of me wonders how sure they were of her outcomes if she was so young at the time... I wonder what SHE would have wanted? I wonder if she had an advocate?

[Fran101]

I sure would like to say "Oh well if it was ME" but frankly, I have no legs to stand on when it comes to this story
1. I am not a parent
and
2. I have no experience caring for anyone with that kind of disability

that said, all the information provided is from the parent's blog so really, we have NO idea what really is going on/what doctors had been contacted/treatment/diagnosis.

It does make sense for both the parents and Ashely X, if you look from a distance. Ashley gets to go more places, move around more, is more easily cared for by her parents vastly improving her quality of life.. and her parents are able to care for her much more easily.

it's when you get closer..and really think about it. that this story hits a nerve... How do we know how Ashley X feels about this? Would she have done things differently? Is her brain TRULY static at the point of being a baby..or perhaps is there something deeper going on?

When does somebody disabled loose the right to make things kind of decisions for themselves? where's the line?
Is it when somebody can't talk? move? Is that what makes us people and give us the right to decide what is done medically to us?

How much medically can be done to disabled people in the name of their care-takers before it goes from improvement quality of life to simply..cruel convenience?

[ACooper]

Originally Posted by Dizzy

I wonder if she had an advocate?

I wondered that as well........or at least someone to speak objectively.

Man, I said it earlier but will repeat, I'm sure her parents agonized over this decision long and hard

[Baxter'smybaby]

I am abstaining from a full commentary here--but just want to say I can see medical reasons for making such a decision--watching my daughter struggle with various stuff, and not being able to understand it, or even understand why she has pain, etc.--hard to watch and hard to know what to do to help. It all gets very complicated.

[SarahHound]

Wow, I didn't even know that was possible. I guess if they are willing then there is nothing wrong with that.

[smkie]

Originally Posted by Baxter'smybaby

I am abstaining from a full commentary here--but just want to say I can see medical reasons for making such a decision--watching my daughter struggle with various stuff, and not being able to understand it, or even understand why she has pain, etc.--hard to watch and hard to know what to do to help. It all gets very complicated.

agreed.