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Friday, February 9, 2007 12:00 AM

Behind the Pillow Angel

Doctors at the Seattle hospital that operated on a disabled girl to keep her from reaching sexual maturity -- the controversial "Ashley Treatment" -- were more troubled by the procedure than has been reported previously.

By Rebecca Clarren

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Friday, February 9, 2007 10:42 AM

Ashley's personhood.

This is obviously an incredibly complicated issue.

But I keep coming back to her personhood. Yes--she cannot speak for herself; she's not mentally advanced enough to be an advocate for her own health. But what of her individual humanity? If she was suddenly granted full, 'normal' intelligence--what would she think of the fact that a team of doctors (and her parents) had physically altered her, out of convenience?

I'm trying to put myself in her place. I know that's not the popular sentiment--it seems like most letter writers think we should put ourselves in the parents' place. But she is a Person. Why can't we let her live her measured life without surgically altering it to please our own persons?

—albval Read albval's other letters

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