This past fall, the Archives of Pediatric Adolescent Medicine published a peer reviewed research paper describing the medical procedures involved in purposefully halting the growth and physical maturation of a nine year old with severe disabilities. In response to the original article:
- Lyle Romer, TASH President wrote a letter to the journal editor, which was not published.
- Dr. Allen Crocker, Harvard Medical School and TASH member, and Lyle Romer, TASH Board President, co-authored a discussion article that will be published in the next Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities so the literature base presents alternative and more viable options for parents.
- Lyle Romer also responded to the Seattle Times with a letter to the editor.
Donna Lehr, Chair of the Special Health Care Committee, has prepared a Resolution on Unnecessary and Dehumanizing Medical Treatments which is available.
As you may have noted by the recent press this is an issue garnering the public's attention and needs our voice. As a member of TASH, exercise your voice and power and write your own letter to the editor and authors describing your feelings about this practice and describe that families should be given the name and website address of TASH as a alternative. One of our strengths has always been our membership's grassroots efforts and stories. Please speak up on this issue.
It is important to recognize that there are many perspectives to consider with an issue filled with ethical and moral dilemmas. Leslie Lederer, President of the Kentucky TASH Chapter, long-time advocate, and mother of Dan, a young man with profound disabilities, shares her thoughts about the need for TASH members and other activists to understand the parent perspective.
Click here to download Leslie’s essay.
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