It might be scary for her but I'm sure the daughter would learn to get used to it in time. Most girls get scared when they have their periods. I don't think the pain of getting a period is so terrible that surgery needs to be done. She can try birth control but that doesn't work for everyone, myself included. I think the mother has good intentions. However, even though her daughter might not be able to make this choice it's still a very personal choice to make. I just don't see how it has to be done. It might make things easier but I'm just not sure something this personal should be done simply to make things easy. It's tough. I'm hesitant to approve of it but at the same time I can't say it's wrong of her to want to try it for her daughter's sake. This has important implications on how we deal with disability but not everything should be judged simply on principle. I think I'd look at just how much of an impact either scenario would have on her daughter's life.

Well, the thinking there is that this is a normal girl, and she's not. If you have a severely handicapped child who can't walk, talk, possibly has very little or no awareness of what is going on around her, and possibly can't even understand directions or language, she's not going to "get used to it". She'll just be aware of pain. I had a high school friend w/ a severely disabled boy and it was her full-time job to take care of him for the 22 years or so that he lived. As the parents get older, they get less able to lift, move, turn the child if they can't get up and walk or use the bathroom themselves. Now, instead of just diapers, you're adding more monthly sanitary needs. And have you read the reports from people who have put their grown children in nursing home facilities where they are raped & impregnated by male caregivers? Avoiding a situation like that is something to consider. Of course, I'd hope that their doctors talk to them about the newer birth control options that can stop periods & the like, but in the long run I think it's up to the parents. The child will never be independent and self-sufficient, so they don't have the right to make their own medical decisions. Just like your 5 year old doesn't have the right to say whether or not they want to get a vaccination - it's your decision as the parent. Overall, it's a sad situation.

I think it should be up to the parent. I can see both sides of the story, but it kind of seemslegitimate. From what people have said, No medicine can be 100% at keeping periods away, and there are risks with medicine and could it interact with anything she currently uses. There are risks and pros to cons on each side. No clear cut right or wrong answer.

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Mom to Kaylee (10/2006)
Waiting on our second bundle of joy to arrive January 2009!

I'm not offended by this,,, As others have said,, some things just don't work for others. I took depo and it kept my periods away, but I gained 30 lbs in 3 MONTHS!! That led to OTHER problems.

This child is never going to be able to 'use' her womb,, so why should she have to go thru the 'problems' of having one. As a 'regular' woman, I've often said,, you shouldn't have to put up with periods when you're too young or 'too old' to have a baby.... too bad we can't ALL only have them when we need them for reproduction. I HAVE read cases of severely mentally disabled people being impregnated.. how HORRIBLE would that be!

I don't know,, maybe I'm just not 'informed enough', but I don't see how this is a bad thing per se. If someone was removing a mildly retarded person's womb, that'd be different.

As far as the menopause,, she isn't going to go thru menopause from having only her womb removed.... just my opinion,, not meant to offend

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Think big! Change the world! One A.R.K at a time.

I don't have a disabled child so I am not sure where I stand in this. I guess, I can see both sides. The thing about the surgery is that she is so young and something could go wrong. If the child were to die, or be worse off wouldn't the parent wish that she would have dealt with the periods instead of putting her daughter through a surgery she doesn't understand? I am not 100% sure on this as I haven't been in the parent's shoes. But, surgery seems extreme and it seems like there could be an alternative. I have had a C-section and it was a surgery that caused a lot of pain, more pain than a period.

This is tough. I think there are alternatives out there that should be considered before such a drastic method is used.
The IUD stops periods, the seasonal contraceptive pill, give you four periods a year. A lot better than every month.
I also beleive that when the uterus is removed, hormones will become unbalanced and she will start her menapause, unless she is given hormone shots.
It is a very tough decision, my personal choice is that it should not be done.

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We buy things we dont need,
with money we dont have,
in order to impress people
we dont like?
(Ramsey, D)

None of us can judge this mother nor her ideas
because we are not in her situation. The surgery
is extreme, but I can see 100% how the mom
would feel it is in the daughter's best interest.
Bottom line, parents have to make the decisions
for their children. Only you know what's best for yours.

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Countdown Clocks

I can totally relate to these parents, I had a severely disabled child. These people give their lives to care for these children. Asking for one aspect of it to be eliminated by surgery is not asking too much. Again, I totally disagree with the government stepping in where they should not belong. This is a personal family decision and honestly something we shouldn't even know about. But because government, either the USA or England has to be involved, the media hypes it up. Here just because our government always thinks it has to be politically correct yet its infringing upon a family's right to make personal choices and in England where the government is involved because of socialized health care. At least there I can see they are questioning the need because they pay for it. But should the parents foot the bill, it isn't anyone's business but theirs.

I don't think badly of the parents for considering this. It would probably cross my mind too. I never even thought about the fact that severely disabled women would still have a period. It's a messy, uncomfortable and painful thing for me to deal with sometimes.....I can't imagine being a care giver of a mature woman and having to deal with it.
Sure the depo shot could work however it is not safe for women to go without a period for long amounts of time. It can cause cancer. So would you want to take that chance?

As for the family that did it so the girl wouldn't grow....I don't see anything wrong with that. They had to lift and carry this child and she was never going to get any better. It made life somewhat easier keeping her small. I don't see anything wrong with that.

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Jodie....Wife to Andrew (1995)
Mommy to Riley (2000) and Wyatt (2003)

it would be a sad situation....I do not know what it is like to have a handicap child but I have been around some in my mom side of the family....I do believe that if I had a child that could not do anything for herself then yes I would have the surgery done....I would not want my child to have pregnancy by some jerk raping her if for some reason she was not closely watched.....it is just a hard situation all around for a parent to make I think..but I do believe that a parent should be the one to make the desicion....let legislation come and change her pad a few times because she is unable to do it and they will think twice about butting in where they need not be

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CHOOSE TODAY WHOM YOU WILL SERVE!!!