Pillow Angel
Today in the news: a troubling story about the parents of a severely disabled 9 year-old girl who have used surgery and hormones to keep their little “pillow angel” a small and manageable size.
Given the unique challenges faced by the couple and their daughter, it’s not a situation to be made light of; I’ll try, though, as best I can.
According to the Associated Press, “The bedridden 9-year-old girl had her uterus and breast tissue removed at a Seattle hospital and received large doses of hormones to halt her growth. She is now 4-foot-5; her parents say she would otherwise probably reach a normal 5-foot-6.”
Are the parents really doing it for the child’s good or are they keeping her small to make it easier for themselves? My life would be simpler if Mimi never grew out of her shoes or if she were still little enough that her kicks to my shins didn’t hurt, but would that make it all right for me to go all bonsai on her?
It wasn’t cool when Rick Moranis turned his son and daughter into the size of dust specks in “Honey I Shrunk the Kids,” even though it would help the family budget to be able to feed both of them on a single corn chip a day.
I’m made nervous by parents who try to limit their childrens’ development in the name of protecting them. We could ensure that Mimi never falls off a full-size bike and breaks her collarbone by amputating her legs, but that’s probably extreme.
Part of the reason I find this case so troubling is that there aspects of the parent’s behavior that I find compelling. Their intention in giving their daughter hormones to prevent puberty was to have the girl avoid the discomfort of menstrual periods and the possibility of breast cancer.
I must admit, I could see giving your kid those drugs just to avoid having to live with a teenager.
Given the unique challenges faced by the couple and their daughter, it’s not a situation to be made light of; I’ll try, though, as best I can.
According to the Associated Press, “The bedridden 9-year-old girl had her uterus and breast tissue removed at a Seattle hospital and received large doses of hormones to halt her growth. She is now 4-foot-5; her parents say she would otherwise probably reach a normal 5-foot-6.”
Are the parents really doing it for the child’s good or are they keeping her small to make it easier for themselves? My life would be simpler if Mimi never grew out of her shoes or if she were still little enough that her kicks to my shins didn’t hurt, but would that make it all right for me to go all bonsai on her?
It wasn’t cool when Rick Moranis turned his son and daughter into the size of dust specks in “Honey I Shrunk the Kids,” even though it would help the family budget to be able to feed both of them on a single corn chip a day.
I’m made nervous by parents who try to limit their childrens’ development in the name of protecting them. We could ensure that Mimi never falls off a full-size bike and breaks her collarbone by amputating her legs, but that’s probably extreme.
Part of the reason I find this case so troubling is that there aspects of the parent’s behavior that I find compelling. Their intention in giving their daughter hormones to prevent puberty was to have the girl avoid the discomfort of menstrual periods and the possibility of breast cancer.
I must admit, I could see giving your kid those drugs just to avoid having to live with a teenager.
posted by Professor Dave at 10:03 PM
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