For the past few weeks, there were many reports on “Pillow Angel”, a nine-year-old disabled girl called Ashley X. Drastic surgery were done on her as ordered by her parents to keep her small for her entire life. The parents claimed that the surgery was done so that they can take care of Ashley better and easier. However, many people disagreed, and this had caused an ethical storm over the issue.



Hormone therapy and removal of breast buds were done on Ashley to prevent her from the possibility of sexual abuse by her future caregiver, as claimed by her parents. I must say that I find their reasoning extremely disgusting. Which parents in this world will bear to do such an inhuman thing to their children?



Although Ashley’s parents claimed that they have valid reasons for why they are doing this, but I feel that the medical procedures are more for their convenience than for the benefits of Ashley. The hormone therapy did on Ashley stunt her growth, keeping her child-like for the rest of her life. This makes it easy for Ashley’s parents to take care of her, as she is easy to handle.



The medical procedures have also violates Ashley’s human rights and robs her of the chance to “grow up”. There are many disabled people in this world, and many of them have lived their lives to the fullest. Ashley’s parents by having done such a decision to make her ‘small’, has already decided that her life was ‘finished’, that she has no more hope.