Ashley Treatment
Although based on a blog, this site is meant to be read
starting from the top. It contains comments and opinions based directly on the
slide produced by Ashley's father as a justification for the treatment given to
his daughter.
Introduction to the Ashley Treatment
October 18, 2009 by Single Dad
From Wikipedia (and there are many other sources) …
The Ashley Treatment refers to a controversial set of
medical procedures undergone by a Seattle child, “Ashley X”. Ashley, born in
1997, has severe developmental disabilities due to static encephalopathy of
unknown etiology; she is, and will remain, at an infant level mentally and
physically.
The treatment included growth attenuation via estrogen therapy;
hysterectomy, bilateral breast bud removal, and appendectomy; see a one slide
summary of
Ashley’s condition, the treatment and its benefits as prepared by
her parents.
The principal purpose of the treatment was to improve
Ashley’s quality of life by limiting her growth in size, eliminating menstrual
cramps and bleeding, and preventing discomfort from large breasts. The
combination of the surgery and the estrogen therapy attracted much public
comment and ethical analysis in early 2007, both supportive and condemning. The
hospital later admitted that the surgery was illegal and should only have been
performed after a court order, a position that is disagreed upon by the
attorney of Ashley’s family.
