Comments on: The “Ashley Treatment” and Quality of Life http://www.unquietdesperation.com/2007/01/05/the-ashley-treatment-and-quality-of-life/ The Mass of Men Lead Lives of Quiet Desperation. Where's the Fun in That? Fri, 12 Mar 2010 22:06:15 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Rae http://www.unquietdesperation.com/2007/01/05/the-ashley-treatment-and-quality-of-life/comment-page-1/#comment-31 Rae Fri, 05 Jan 2007 20:00:02 +0000 http://www.unquietdesperation.com/site/2007/01/05/the-ashley-treatment-and-quality-of-life/#comment-31 This is so tricky. I'm not sure that I should be the first to weigh in, especially as I'm not a mother. I have to admit that my first reaction was horror that the parents would choose to rob their daughter of her right to womanhood. When I read a story like this I have in the back of my head the voice of my Mum telling me that she had been advised to terminate her pregnancy when I was on my way as I was going to be too disabled to lead a normal life. She chose to carry on and give me the best life that I could possibly have. Without my Mum's courage I wouldn't be here at all and as it transpired that the doctors were wrong and my problems were largely fixable, I'm so glad that she went against the advice. As usual I'm making it all about me, but I think my point is this. In 1974 technology told my Mum that her baby was too damaged to have any quality of life. They were wrong. In 2007 technology says that Ashley has reached her full potential, but who knows what may happen in the next 30 years! I don't think they have made the wrong decision though. It is the decision that they are happy with and so it is correct for their family and should be respected as such. I just don't think I'd choose the same path, but that is easy for me to say when I don't have to. This is so tricky. I’m not sure that I should be the first to weigh in, especially as I’m not a mother. I have to admit that my first reaction was horror that the parents would choose to rob their daughter of her right to womanhood. When I read a story like this I have in the back of my head the voice of my Mum telling me that she had been advised to terminate her pregnancy when I was on my way as I was going to be too disabled to lead a normal life. She chose to carry on and give me the best life that I could possibly have.

Without my Mum’s courage I wouldn’t be here at all and as it transpired that the doctors were wrong and my problems were largely fixable, I’m so glad that she went against the advice. As usual I’m making it all about me, but I think my point is this. In 1974 technology told my Mum that her baby was too damaged to have any quality of life. They were wrong. In 2007 technology says that Ashley has reached her full potential, but who knows what may happen in the next 30 years!

I don’t think they have made the wrong decision though. It is the decision that they are happy with and so it is correct for their family and should be respected as such. I just don’t think I’d choose the same path, but that is easy for me to say when I don’t have to.

]]>