Guest Author - Jessica Steinmetz
Have you heard of the Pillow Angel? She is a girl who has parents who want to stunt her growth. They feel the procedure will benefit her. I have serious concerns over the parent’s decision to put their daughter through surgery to stunt her growth. I realize that it is their decision, but I fear that people with disabilities might lose their rights and legal ground.
Ashley was born with a disability that caused her to have serious brain damage. She cannot sit up, talk, walk, or eat on her own. She does show signs of contentment and her family loves her very much. Ashley is also declared mentally retarded.
She is about nine years old, and her parents opted to remove her uterus, take away hormones, and have her have surgery that will prevent her from growing. This process takes some years to complete.
Her parent’s claims that having her stay a child is for Ashley's benefit. She will be easier to transport and care for. They say having her be an adult would leave her bedridden. They also say she'll be more difficult to take out on family outings. They also do not want her to suffer menstrual cramps.
I have serious concerns. Her parents claim that this is for her benefit, but yet they put her through surgery and any side effects from these new procedures? I think menstrual cramps are far less painful, and they could give her pain medicine. Estrogen is good for a female especially as she ages. Without estrogen, she is more prone to have cancer, osteoporosis, and other diseases.
I'm a grown woman who cannot walk and have balance issues. I'm still able to use a wheelchair and go places. I do not understand why keeping her a child will allow her to go out more than an adult?
I think that this case is a very slippery slope for people with disabilities. If it isn't bad enough that doctors support aborting babies with impairments, now we're going to mess with a person's natural development? I fear that, in the near future, people with disabilities will cease to exist because they’re not convenient.
