Ashley the pillow angel, as she is called by her parents, is a nine year old girl with severe motor-psychological disorders given treatment to stop her growth.
The girl was given doses of estrogen to stunt her growth and a hysterectomy to prevent menstrual cycles. She also receives daily doses of oestrogen to ensure she will never grow taller than her current state.
This decision made by her parents sparked an international dispute over weather the parents have the right to “amputate” her this way.
Parents have defended their treatment decisions as necessary for their child's quality of life.
It was on New Year's Day that Ashley's father, a software executive, posted their blog entitled "The Ashley Treatment" naming their daughter and featuring photographs of her with her parents and younger brother and sister.
All the world knew was that she suffered from "static encephalopathy", a severe brain impairment; that she would forever have the mental age of a three-month-old baby; that she would never be able to walk, talk, keep her head up, roll over or sit up.
Her parents had learned that "growth attenuation" would keep her small, enabling them to carry her. Removing her uterus would prevent her menstruating and removing her breast buds would prevent her growing the large breasts that run in her family. They believed all this to be in their daughter's best interests.