This letter is associated with the following article:
Letters
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.

Read other letters about this article

  • Thursday, February 8, 2007 07:29 PM

    Caring for the Severely Disabled ...

    is not easy in this country. It is physically and mentally demanding. I can see a parent wanting to do as much as possible for their child, but when that child turns into a full grown adult, will the parent still be able to care for them?

    When brain growth is stunted to that of a three month olds, resulting in a body that reacts like that of a three month old, are we really going to force these parents to change the diapers on a 100 pound woman? And, since she cannot hold up her head or sit up straight on her own, she can't help they at all. She is basically a dead weight. Frankly, I can't imagine what it would be like to change Ashley's diapers now that she weighs 65 pounds. And, this is only one of the many tasks that go into caring for Ashley.

    Now, we're not talking about someone who can eventually or even possibly live on their own with some supervision. We're talking about someone who will always respond like a three month old baby, and so, will always need round-the-clock care. And, she has parents who want the responsibility of caring for her for the rest of her life, and as they grow older, it's only going to get harder for them.

    In many ways in this country, we go so overboard over individual rights that we forget about protecting and preserving families (or communities). Ashley's life is her family. These medical procedures mean her family will continue to stay together.

Most Active Letters Threads

405

I'm thankful I'm not President Obama

Backers deride Katrina-style negligence, haters hate him more each day. Can this presidency be saved? Of course
323

Tough-guy John Bolton, hiding under his bed

As usual, right-wing pseudo-warriors are drowning in extreme cowardice.
320

Greg Craig and Obama's worsening civil liberties record

A new Time account of the fall of Obama's White House counsel sheds much light on rule of law issues.
230

A key British official reminds us of the forgotten anthrax attack

A vast array of establishment and expert sources do not believe this episode was really resolved.
154

Phil Carter's resignation from key detainee policy post

Many of the "War on Terror" policies he spent years condemning were ones expressly embraced by Obama.

View all »

Letters Help

Currently in Salon