Debateful

NEW YORK (CNN) -- It's been a year since the parents of a severely disabled child made public their decision to submit their daughter to a hysterectomy, breast surgery and drugs to keep the girl forever small. Today, the couple tell CNN, they believe they made the right decision -- one that could have a profound impact on the care of disabled children worldwide.


The profoundly disabled girl known as Ashley, now 10, has achieved her full height, 4 feet 5 inches.

1 of 2 "The 'Ashley treatment' has been successful in every expected way," Ashley's parents told CNN exclusively in a lengthy e-mail interview. "It has potential to help many others like it helped our precious daughter."

Read the whole article:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/condition...index.html

What do you think? Is this the best for the child or should she have been allowed to grow normally?
Purrs,
Pookie

Yeah, I know the thread's old, but meh.....

This has disgusted me from the very start. It's things like this that really have me embarrassed sometimes when working in the medical field. I actually find it to be quite shocking that it was truly against the law, given how medical law lets parents do almost whatever the hell they want to their kids.

So what if she doesn't have the mental capacity to make this decision for herself? Fact is, this procedure was not a necessary one. She was not in any danger if she was allowed to retain her natural ability to grow and develop. I firmly believe that unless a procedure is truly necessary for the preservation of health or personal safety, then it should not be able to be done against someone's will, no matter what their mental state or age.

My thoughts and prayers are with that poor girl.