Parents freeze their disabled daughter in time.

[puppydog]

Something just popped into my head. Its bad enough having to deal with the day to day care of an immobile person but now having to deal with a montly menstrual cycle? No way!

[sassafras]

Just because something happened to also be convenient for the parents, it doesn't mean they did it solely FOR the convenience.

I can't even imagine being in their position, how heartbreaking and agonizing. Personally I think if they were acting purely out of selfish motives/for their own convenience, they'd just stick her in a care facility and be done with her. As it is, they're making an effort to keep her with them and be able to do as many things as possible with her. I just can't see how that's a bad thing.

[puppydog]

Very, very good point!

[Renee750il]

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.

If anyone can truly comment on this it's Bax.

I've seen various friends struggle through this with their children, male and female. I don't know what is going to happen when they can no longer care for their children.

[smkie]

I took care of women who were very much in the same situation as this child. THey were people that had no family to care for them and were in a nursing home type situation. There isn't a lot of love and understanding for the discomforts of a menstrual cycle and there is risk as well of abuse and pregnancy. I wouldn't ever want to be in such a place to have to make such a decision, but I sure would never try to judge anyone who is. They are being there for her in her physical care, which I am sure is over the top overwhelming and maybe concerned about her welfare if she becomes more than they can physically handle.

[Lilavati]

Originally Posted by sassafras

I can't even imagine being in their position, how heartbreaking and agonizing. Personally I think if they were acting purely out of selfish motives/for their own convenience, they'd just stick her in a care facility and be done with her. As it is, they're making an effort to keep her with them and be able to do as many things as possible with her. I just can't see how that's a bad thing.

This.

When I read about this story and the controversy it engendered, the primary accusation against the parents was that they were stripping the child of her human dignity for their own convenience.

Whereas, if convenience were their concern, they wouldn't be spending their lives caring for this child and worrying about who will care for her when they are unable to. They'd just dump her in the cheapest care home they could find and be done with it. If this is what it takes to keep her in their home, under their care, for as long as possible, then it strikes me that this is the best thing for her.

Living in her parents home, with those who care for her, is far more important to her dignity than full growth and sexual maturity. The alternative is that she will end up being treated like furniture much sooner when there is no choice but to place her in a home.