What do you think?

I read this article in Time magazine and i just wanted to get your views and opinions on this. Since no one has taken my search for a blog lover seriously, i am going to adopt a few for myself. Watch out for me in the comments section of some blogs. I am off to Ghana tonight for work so have a safe and blessed weekend..............

Ashley, now 9 is a severely brain damaged girl whose parents feared that as she got bigger, it would be harder to care for her the way they wanted to. So they set to keep her small. Through high dose estrogen treatment over the past 2 years, her growth plates were closed and her prospective height reduced by about 33cm. Her parents say "her smaller and lighter size make it more possible to include her in the typical family life & activities that provide her with much needed comfort such as car trips, touch, meal times etc"

Doctors removed her uterus - to prevent potential discomfort from mentrual cramps and pregnancy in the event of rape. Her breast buds were removed become of a family history of cancer and fibrocystic disease. Her parents say she has no need for breasts since she wont breast feed and their presence will be a source of discomfort since the harness strap;s that hold her upright go across her chest.

A 40 member ethics committee of Seattle Children's Hospital had to seat and evaluate this case. Doctors argue that her smaller size has medical as well as emotional benefits. It will make it easier for her to be moved which will mean better circulation, digestion and muscle condition & fewer sores and infections. The doctors concluded that they could remove her uterus and breasts because she would be better off without them; they could keep her short because, since she will never hold a job or a romance, she wont suffer the social consequences of being short. To those that say she should have a right to grow, the head of the ethics committee says Ashley has no concept of these things.

Are her parents justified in taking these drastic steps?