So-called “pillow angel” had hysterectomy, breast surgery and drugs to keep her small; no consensus among doctors on whether treatment is appropriate, ethical

Excerpt from Amy Burkholder story on 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 ‘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.”

While unwavering in their belief in the treatment, Ashley’s parents continue to insist on anonymity. (Editor’s note: Holiday photo above, from website that is purportedly run by parents, obscures faces of parents, siblings.)

In the year since Ashley’s parents went public, not only did the hospital that sterilized Ashley admit it broke Washington state law, but also the doctor who treated Ashley committed suicide.

As scrutiny of the case deepens, so too does the chasm in the medical community: Is it mutilation, with doctors “playing God” — or, is stunting growth a liberating option for caregivers and the disabled children who will need constant care for the rest of their lives?

CNN’s email interview is here.

Editor’s note: Perhaps someone can tell us why CNN is granting anonymity to this family.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 12th, 2008 at 1:58 pm and is filed under NOT2BEMISSED, cerebral palsy, disabilities, disputed treatments, quality of life. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.  Email This Post