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Let's look at it from Ashley's point of view (somewhat), with a dose of reality.
Post-surgery, Ashley - what there is of her, mentally - will be able to stay with the only people she really knows, get cared for by a family who chose to have her, and keep what little enjoyment and stimulation she currently has, which is quite a lot in many ways.
Without the surgery, the reality, unpleasant as it may be, is that she would probably have been institutionalized because her parents would become unable to deal with her. She would have joined the ranks of the ignored, the "filed," someone with the mental capacity of a vegetable who would enjoy no stimulation, no love, and relatively less care. The chances of further medical issues (from bed sores to a mishap with her feeding tube) would be considerably greater.
The difference between Ashley and, say, Terry Shaivo, seems to be that while she has little or no mental capacity, she does have some emotional capacity. Her parents could have neglected that, and taken the easy way out by abandoning her to the system. They didn't. What they chose was a long way from the easy way out.
In an ideal world, this wouldn't have been necessary. Of course, in an ideal world situations like this would never happen. And we don't live in an ideal world.
Someone mentioned the parallels between Ashley and a pet. There's a certain element of truth to that. I mean, what truly is the difference between a 3 month old child and a puppy? Neither one can talk... the puppy probably walks better, and makes less mess in the house... the big difference is that the child can grow up. That is something that Ashley can never do, not where it counts, not even to a functioning child level.
What's the right answer here? The parent's choice, while extreme, seems to have been the one that will bring the most joy into the rest of Ashley's life. Its a crappy choice. It just seems to be better than all the others.
