Pillow Angel Reflection — 12/4

                  Ashely was a six year old girl who had a rare brain disease called static encephalopathy. Her parents decided to put her under treatment to make it easier for them to take care of her as she grows up. They took it upon themselves to remove Ashely's breast buds and uterus to eliminate pain that will come as she gets older, and high doses of estrogen to stunt her growth. Although her parents mean well, their decisions were too extreme and unethical. These procedures would make Ashely have the body of a 6 year old forever. Although Ashley was only 6, she still has her own natural rights. She never gave her parents consent to make these permanent changes to her body, and her parents didn't respect her body. People who have brain damage develop a lot slower than regular people, so making irreversible changes so early in life is a "medical form of identity theft." Additionally, Ashely's parents are depriving Ashely of an enjoyable life because they assumed she would never have a job or a significant other, so doing this was good since she wouldn't have to endure the social consequences of being small. Arlene Mayerson, an expert in disability rights law said, "Medicine's role is to relieve pain and improve function, but Ashley was not sick, and the treatment was untested..." This suggested that the positive results her parents and other doctors wanted are not guaranteed, so they may be wasting their time and money on these treatments. If someone had the same condition as Ashley, their parents may not want to remove parts of their body to make it easier on their part. If her treatment was accepted by society, her case would not be controversial. Brain damaged patients can still function properly, so this is more of a social issue her parents wanted to avoid, rather than a medical issue. Ashely's parents wanted to protect her from harm's way, but they are inhibiting her from living to her full potential.