You know, even these parents have no idea what it is like to be the bedridden child, how hypocritical of them to try and use this as part of their justification.

I sincerely hope that Ashley doesn’t feel trapped in this twilight forever-childhood her parents have arranged for her. This whole situation kind of reminds me of nightmares I used to have after I dropped out of high school–some 10 years later, after I had obtained a college degree, I would, in my nightmare, be forced to return to high school to “serve my sentence.” But it sounds to me like Ashley is going to be serving a lifetime sentence as her parents’ little “pillow angel.”

(By the way, I believe I saw in the news not too long ago that the hospital that performed the surgeries on Ashley has determined that these procedures shouldn’t have been performed–they should have been sent form approval to the medical ethics committee, which would have rejected them. No kidding… A bit late to arrive at this conclusion, no?)

Granted, periods aren’t fun, and can be somewhat messy and uncomfortable (including the possibility of cramps). But unless something is seriously wrong, or unless your cramps are unusually bad (which can be controlled for many women by avoiding things like shellfish and dairy at least for the week before and during the period) it isn’t normally so painful that a hysterctomy is warranted.

And, isn’t it fairly normal for new, budding breasts to be a little uncomfortable and tender for a while? Usually they become less sensitive, at least to a degree, as they mature.

No, the purpose of it wasn’t to make her “seem more childlike,” although in some ways she would as a consequence. The purpose was to make it possible for her family to move her from place to place, hold her, take her on outhings without special equipment that would be needed to lift her were she bigger. Also, Ashley has already gone thru puberty, and does have body hair, etc. What she doesn’t have are breasts, a menstrual cycle, and an appendix. Her mother noticed that her still-undeveloped breasts were causing discomfort, and since she can’t sit in a wheelchair without being harnessed in, they would likely cause even more discomfort if they were to grow. Also, Ashley can’t communicate what’s causing her pain, so the hysterectomy and appendectomy were to prevent something like appendicitis that wouldn’t be cought until too late, or painful periods.

There are websites that explain it in more detail.

You’re right, you didn’t make the argument that Ashley has the mind of an infant.

I don’t know much about this procedure, but what it sounds like to me is that Ashley’s growth was artificially altered to make her seem more childlike even after she was chronologically an adult.

I can’t really understand why anyone would do this. Only two possible reasons come to mind:

1) To make her easier to move around.
2) To make people who already see her as a child more comfortable with interacting with her. If you view someone as a child, noticing that they have breasts and pubic hair might be disturbing to you.

My objection to the treatment is that, if it was done for reason number 2, it is a radically life-altering thing done to her to support her family’s bizarre and paternalistic attitude towards her.

If the treatment was REALLY done for reason number 1, or some reason that is pragmatic and for her medical benefit, then it’s open to more debate. I wouldn’t have an opinion until I knew more about it.

I don’t think that Ashley X = infant. It’s a strawman argument. What I did say was that the objection to her treatment seemed to be based on her having hidden mental capabilities that no one is aware of, and that would have led to her voicing her own objection were she physically capable.

If the situation were reversed – if Ashley had wanted the treatment based on her own research and motivations, but wasn’t allowed to by her parents and doctors – would that also cause outrage? If not, why not?