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She doesn’t have a last name. They call her “Ashley X” or even “Pillow Angel.”
Yesterday, though, people from around the nation visited the UW because of this young girl, to discuss the issue of limiting growth in children with severe disabilities. The forum was an all-day conference held in the Moot Courtroom of William H. Gates Hall.
Ashley’s case sparked discussions about disability after her parents opted to give her what has been dubbed the “Ashley Treatment” when she was 6 years old. Now, Ashley is 9-and-a-half.
The treatment included giving Ashley, who has a severe brain injury that keeps her in an infant-like state, hormones to stunt her growth, keeping her body small. Doctors also removed her uterus and breast buds to prevent the discomfort of menstrual cramps and breast development....................................
Bioethics conference tackles tough medical decisions
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Case:
Dr. Jack Kevorkian promoted physician-assisted suicide for suffering patients that wanted to end their lives.
Verdict:
Kevorkian was tried many times for assisting with suicides. He was charged in March 1999 and is currently in jail. However, Oregon’s 1994 Death with Dignity Act supported physician-assisted suicide in certain circumstances.
Case:
Tirhas was an illegal immigrant from Eritrea that was diagnosed terminally ill once cancer had spread to her lungs.
Verdict:
She was removed from a respirator in Dec. 2005, despite her family’s disagreement with Texas’ “Advance Directives Act” that allows hospitals remove terminally ill individuals.
Case:
Like the prominent Terri Schiavo case in 2005, Nancy Beth Cruzan was left in a vegetative state after a car accident. Her family wanted the feeding tube removed and fought as far as the Supreme Court.
Verdict:
The court allowed her family to remove the feeding tube, and she died in Dec. 1990.
Case:
Many argue medical marijuana provides therapeutic treatment to individuals in substantial pain, particularly chemotherapy patients.
Verdict:
Medical marijuana is legal in 11 states, including Washington, Oregon and California.
Case:
Terri Schiavo suffered brain damage and became dependent on a feeding tube for 15 years. Her husband, Michael, wanted to remove the feeding tube and fought many legal battles with her parents.
Verdict:
The tube was removed March 2005 after a verdict by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Landmark ethical dilemmas in medicine
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