Quote:
Originally Posted by RedHot25
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...hub=TopStories
Interesting debates here: regarding disability rights, ethics, is it inappropriately interfering with nature (i.e. I stopping her growing, etc) and so on...
Parents of a nine-year-old U.S. girl with the mental ability of a three-month-old baby are defending their reasons for using medical treatments to keep their daughter child-sized for the rest of her life.
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Ashley -- who doctors expect to have a normal lifespan -- has had a hysterectomy, surgery to block breast growth and undergone hormone treatment that will limit her growth.
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They have defended their decisions, saying that keeping their daughter small will make her bed-ridden existence more comfortable and it will make it easier for them to move her around.
"As a result we will continue to delight in holding her in our arms and Ashley will be moved and taken on trips more frequently and will have more exposure to activities and social gatherings (for example, in the family room, backyard, swing, walks, bathtub, etc) instead of lying down in her bed staring at TV (or the ceiling) all day long," they wrote.
Ashley's parents say they are currently near the limits of their ability to lift their daughter at her weight of 65 pounds.
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The parents have a blog at: http://ashleytreatment.spaces.live.com/blog/
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One of the hardest things for parents of children with such mental health problems is when they reach puberty. Their bodies will mature and look "normal" for their ages, however if they are not mentally mature as in Ashley's case, they will not be able to make the appropriate decisions. So when Ashley becomes a teenager, boys may hit on her and stuff, but because her mental ability is a lot slower, she may not be mature enough and will end up a victim of sexual assault...she wont be mature enough to make decisions about sex and things like that, even though men will appreciate her body. So that could be a benefit of her parents choosing to keep her from physically developing.