Mother defends hysterectomy for disabled daughter

[karistiona]

A mother has defended her plan to have the womb of her seriously disabled daughter removed over claims it violates her human rights.
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Doctors at St John's Hospital, Chelmsford, Essex, are seeking legal advice to see whether they have the proper consent to proceed with surgery on 15-year-old Katie Thorpe despite there being no medical need.

Alison Thorpe, 45, from Billericay, Essex, wants doctors to perform a hysterectomy on Katie, who has severe cerebral palsy, to prevent her menstruating as she fears the teenager will be unable to cope with the complications of adulthood.

Ms Thorpe said: "I am looking at the interests of an individual, my daughter. I am not suggesting that disabled children as a whole are given this operation. I think there needs to be choice for individuals.

"Please realise I am not advocating this as a blanket policy for disabled children. For my daughter this, I think, is the right decision and a decision we have thought long and hard about."

Disabled charity Scope has said the unnecessary surgery may not be in the teenager's best interests and could have "disturbing" consequences for other children.

Andy Rickell, the charity's executive director, said it recognises that it is a difficult situation and is aware of the challenges faced by families like Katie's.

However, he added: "It is very difficult to see how this kind of invasive surgery, which is not medically necessary and which will be very painful and traumatic, can be in Katie's best interests.

"This case raises fundamental ethical issues about the way our society treats disabled people and the respect we have for disabled people's human and reproductive rights.

"Scope is concerned that doctors are supporting parents in this case. If this enforced sterilisation is approved it will have disturbing implications for young disabled girls across Britain."

He continued: Society should adapt itself to include disabled children, rather than them being "modified" to fit society."

Katie's case mirrors that of Ashley X, the nine-year-old US girl with the mental age of a three-month-old baby, who had surgery to keep her a child.

Her parents said keeping her "frozen" as a girl would give her a better life, but the move provoked worldwide controversy.

Source: Mother defends hysterectomy for daughter - Yahoo! News UK

This is interesting, and to be honest I'm not sure how I feel about it.

[Laurent]

I feel that if a parent/parents think this is the right decision for their child, then disinterested parties should stay out of it. The parents in this case said they don't advocate it for every disabled child, just their own.

The parents will care for her the rest of their lives, they should be able to make the decisions that will make that easiest for their daughter and themselves.

[McJag]

Exactly, Laurent! And we owe those parents our support.

[mklady]

Ok, so from what I'm getting here, this child isn't in a position to have a child someday, right? It's also my understanding that mentally the child isn't going to understand what's going on when dealing with a period.

A hysterectomy is invasive and runs risks but so do many other procedures so I'm not really sure where I'd be in this decision. I do feel that there shouldn't be a blanket rule and it seems that the mother is clear in stating that's NOT what she's looking for. It sounds like she's genuinely trying to make her daughter's life and care easier.

[sputnik]

"This case raises fundamental ethical issues about the way our society treats disabled people and the respect we have for disabled people's human and reproductive rights.

sorry to sound like a nazi, but what reproductive rights? if a kid is so disabled that she will have to be cared for by her parents and medical professions her whole life, i think that also disqualifies her from the right to reproduce. and if having her uterus removed and sparing a disabled child from having to go through puberty and sexual urges when they will never have the mental capacity for a romantic or sexual relationship, what's wrong with that? and just so no one thinks i'm advocating forced sterilisation of all people with a disability, i think these things should be decided on an individual basis and only for children with severe mental disabilities that can't care for themselves.

[emkat]

Giving her a hysterectomy to stop her period is not necessary. Many disabled women are given Depo-Provera shots to stop menstruation. Why don't they just do that?

[BoogsBun]

I'm torn. You don't see the moms of severely disabled sons asking for chemical castrations because their sons may be unable to cope with the complications of adulthood.

[hotmommy]

I agree with the mother...god forbid the daughter is ever raped by someone and impregnated at some point in the future. If she is severly disabled, the pregnancy and delivery could be traumatic and, honestly, terrifying.
I think the reason you don't hear of severly disabled boys being castrated is because, I hate to say it, there is no way that sexual assualt can result in them becoming pregnant.

[RevellingInSane]

This is insanity. Periods can be stopped through the proper usage of hormones. While a hysterectomy will provide the parents with the option of not having to deal with their daughter's periods, she will be thrust in to surgical menopause. How will a child with a youngster's mentality deal with that process? Hot flashes, mood swings, clammy skin, night sweats, chills, etc. are no picnic.

This is like using a SCUD missile to hunt a rabbit.

[McJag]

None of us knows what this Mother has been through and obviously she has put a lot of thought into this-I support her fully.

[Mira]

This is a situation where I can see both sides - what RIS and McJag - are talking about and because of that I don't really have an opinion.

[Laurent]

In this particular situation, I think the decision should be left to the parents. They will have to manage her care for the rest of their lives or hers.

If they feel that it's in the best interests of their own child to have a hysterectomy, that should be within their discretion. They aren't pushing for all disabled children to be sterilized, just their own.

This should be their choice.

[NicoleWasHere]

Last time I checked, it was the parents decision to make, and not the decisions of some other angry parents or politicians. I mean WTF, is it so wrong to look out for your daughter's best interest? Especially since she's disabled? Sure, it might be uncomfortable for a while, for the girl I mean, but it'll pass. She'll recover. Then the family will OMG! MOVE ON WITH IT!

*shakes head* Some people should just learn to stop talking.

[Mira]

^I do agree with that. Just don't know what I'd do in that situation. Hormones can create other problems. It could just be trading peter for paul, but all things considered I might opt for the hysterectomy. But I'm curious, are they really that paranoid, that their daughter is going to get raped or something.

[Laurent]

Maybe they'd like to avoid the issue of dealing with a menstruating teen, young adult, middle-aged woman, etc. Someone, presumably a parent, will have to care for that need if she has a period.

They could pump her full of hormones to avoid it, but I can understand why they'd rather not.