Charities Speak Out on Ashley X Case

British disability charity, Scope, is trying to ensure that Britain will not allow mentally disabled children to be "frozen in time" to stop their bodies from developing to adult size, which recently happened in the US.

The charity is making efforts to prevent the "Ashley X case", which highlights an American child named Ashley who has severe brain damage and whose body was prevented from physically growing beyond its present stage.

While Scope has taken out full-page adverts in national papers asking people to sign a petition in favour of protecting disabled children's rights, they claimed that the treatment given to Ashley is an abuse of human rights.

Scope already has the support of other disability organisations, including RADAR, the National Autistic Society and Disability Awareness in Action.

Disabled writer and actor Mat Fraser has added his voice to those who want to ensure that such a situation could not arise in the UK.

Scope's community development director, Bob Benson, said, "We mustn't change the child to fit society - we need to change society to meet the needs of the child."

Among those who have decided to speak out on the issue is Sandy Collington, a Scope trustee whose daughter has cerebral palsy.

"The idea that we should prevent our children from developing into adults is appalling," she said.

"It's very sad that the parents of Ashley X felt they had to resort to these measures - the rights of the child should not be sacrificed because the right level of support is lacking."

Scope is asking those in favour of its campaign to express their support via its website or by text message.

Nine-year-old Ashley X was born with severe and permanent brain damage, called static encephalopathy, and has the mental ability of a three-month-old baby.

She cannot walk or talk.

Her parents argue that keeping her "frozen" as a girl rather than letting her go through puberty and growing into a woman will give her a better life.

They authorised doctors to remove her uterus to prevent menstruation, to limit her breast growth through the removal of breast buds so that she would not experience discomfort when lying down, and give her doses of hormones to stop her growing taller.