The Pillow Angel Essay

472 Words2 Pages

The Pillow Angel otherwise knows as a little girl name Ashley who is disabled. Ashley is brain damaged so in fear of her getting out of hand when she gets bigger, the parents of Ashley decided to have her dosed with high amounts of estrogen. The purpose of the treatment is to keep her small, so she is easier to take care of. Just over two years of this treatment Ashley’s growth plates were closed and her height was reduced by 13 inches. The parents say the goal was “ to improve our daughters quality of life and not to convenience her caregivers.” The treatments didn’t stop there, they removed her uterus to decrease any pain she may have eventually had, and also removed her breast tissue. The risk of this treatment is blood clots or thrombosis. There are few cases, but the risk are …show more content…

It is right because it is not a danger to her health and they have a list of benefits that are rational. It is also legal so they are not breaking any laws. I find it just wrong, as well, because it is kinda just benefiting the caregivers of the child more. They are literally altering her just because they think she will be a struggle to deal with her. I just think I would have gone with another alternative to benefit Ashley. The “ Ashley Case” in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine is very extraordinary, it is a true challenge in modern medicine. With the question, is it ethical? I found it bizarre, yet I understood where they were coming from. I believe that I myself would probably have a hard decision to make if I was in the parents shoes. I particularly think this case is just a medical dilemma. Which I would expect it was a tough time for both Ashley and her parents. My true opinion on this case is undecided. This truly troubling to make such a decision on which side am I on. I really enjoyed reading about this child, her case is just so fascinating. I’m really glad I chose this topic for my