# "Pillow Angel" AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHGHGHGH **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 12, 2008, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pillow-angel-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhghghgh/441178 "2008-03-12T23:33:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2008, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pillow-angel-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhghghgh/441178/1 "2008-03-12T23:33:28Z")
GodDAMMIT. Why, WHY WHY WHY do people feel the need to come up with these horrible, awful cutesy names for terrible things? First “Baby Pumpkin” and now PILLOW ANGEL!? Am I living in a Passolini film!\>? > **[Disabled girl's parents defend growth-stunting treatment - CNN.com](http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/03/12/pillow.angel/index.html)** > > It's been a year since the parents of a severely disabled child made public their decision to submit their daughter to a hysterectomy, breast surgery and drugs to keep the girl forever small. Today, the couple tell CNN, they believe they made the... I’m going to vomit everywhere and then decapitate myself. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2008, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pillow-angel-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhghghgh/441178/2 "2008-03-12T23:41:32Z")
[QUOTE=TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW] I’m going to vomit everywhere and then decapitate myself. [/QUOTE] Now, that’s a pledge I can cheer for! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2008, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pillow-angel-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhghghgh/441178/3 "2008-03-12T23:44:21Z")
[QUOTE=TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW] I’m going to vomit everywhere and then decapitate myself. [/QUOTE] Remember that if you fail in full decapitation, you may ironically end up as a “pillow angel” yourself. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2008, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pillow-angel-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhghghgh/441178/4 "2008-03-12T23:46:28Z")
I don’t think forum rules allow me to support your pledge. And I think the name is _far_ from the most disturbing thing about that story. And really, the people who chose the name are the ones trying to claim that this whole business is a good thing. You’d hardly expect them to call their victims “mutilated idiots”. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2008, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pillow-angel-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhghghgh/441178/5 "2008-03-12T23:49:09Z")
[QUOTE=TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW] I’m going to vomit everywhere and then decapitate myself. [/QUOTE] Apparently you aren’t the only one with these feelings. > [@](#): > > Supporters wonder whether another factor, the suicide in September of Ashley’s endocrinologist, Dr. Daniel Gunther, may have slowed wider adoption of the treatment. The doctor who did it killed himself, and the parents think it was because he was frustrated at being unable to do it to more disabled children…but I wonder. Any time there’s a radical and controversial procedure and the person who led the way commits suicide soon after…did he leave a note or anything? Sailboat ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2008, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pillow-angel-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhghghgh/441178/6 "2008-03-12T23:53:10Z")
[QUOTE=begbert2] … “mutilated idiots”. [/QUOTE] BAND NAME! TrdlDick - VCO - You got it backwards Decapitate, THEN vomit. ---
**Author:** ![Omegaman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e480ec/32.png) [@Omegaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omegaman)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2008, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pillow-angel-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhghghgh/441178/7 "2008-03-12T23:54:11Z")
Can I have your head after your done with it? I would like to mount it a top a stake until it becomes fly blown. I guess after that it would make a fine ashtray. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2008, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pillow-angel-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhghghgh/441178/8 "2008-03-12T23:57:00Z")
[QUOTE=TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW] GodDAMMIT. Why, WHY WHY WHY do people feel the need to come up with these horrible, awful cutesy names for terrible things? [/QUOTE] Stress from dealing with people who choose to be known as an incomprehensible string of letters? ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2008, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pillow-angel-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhghghgh/441178/9 "2008-03-12T23:58:23Z")
[QUOTE=BubbaDog] BAND NAME! [/QUOTE] Well, it’s better than “Pillow Angels”, that’s for sure; that sounds more like the name of a brothel. And I must say it’s beautiful how on-topic the responses so far have been. Truly, it is not what you say, _or_ how you say it; what matters is who is doing the saying. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pillow-angel-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhghghgh/441178/10 "2008-03-13T00:08:49Z")
[QUOTE=begbert2] Well, it’s better than “Pillow Angels”, that’s for sure; that sounds more like the name of a brothel.. [/QUOTE] Right next door to “Sheet Relief”. Yoo-hoo, Eliot!! ---
**Author:** ![Meyer6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@Meyer6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meyer6)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pillow-angel-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhghghgh/441178/11 "2008-03-13T00:31:26Z")
[QUOTE=Sailboat] Apparently you aren’t the only one with these feelings. The doctor who did it killed himself, and the parents think it was because he was frustrated at being unable to do it to more disabled children…but I wonder. Any time there’s a radical and controversial procedure and the person who led the way commits suicide soon after…did he leave a note or anything? Sailboat [/QUOTE] Actually, I think from that article that the parents think the suicide was unrelated to the kids treatment. They just were also saying that he was frustrated, which is pretty convenient because they can say whatever they want about how he felt now. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pillow-angel-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhghghgh/441178/12 "2008-03-13T00:33:23Z")
“Pillow Angel” sounds like something that would be sold on an infomercial. “Introducing the Pillow Angel- the light that attaches to your pillow. Use it as a reading lamp, or as a nightlight for your child. The Pillow Angel- your angel of light for the night!” ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pillow-angel-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhghghgh/441178/13 "2008-03-13T00:55:59Z")
“Pillow Angel”-sounds like hentai to me. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pillow-angel-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhghghgh/441178/14 "2008-03-13T00:58:45Z")
[QUOTE=Czarcasm] “Pillow Angel”-sounds like hentai to me. [/QUOTE] Or some dramatically new and improved form of blow-up doll that cuddles with you afterwards… ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pillow-angel-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhghghgh/441178/15 "2008-03-13T01:15:22Z")
I have never heard of “breast buds” before. Sure, I’ve heard of budding breasts, and I might have even encountered some back in junior high. But I didn’t know that there were disctinct, um, _things_, as breast buds. Anyway, hers were removed. That raises the question…if she hadn’t had a hysterectomy, would the rest of her breasts continued to develop except where the buds had been, or does removal of the buds mean “no booblets for you”, ever? On second thought, never mind. Some things aren’t necessary to know and are too weird and morbid to think about. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pillow-angel-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhghghgh/441178/16 "2008-03-13T01:15:59Z")
[QUOTE=FoieGrasIsEvil] Or some dramatically new and improved form of blow-up doll that cuddles with you afterwards… [/QUOTE] That’s an improvement? ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pillow-angel-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhghghgh/441178/17 "2008-03-13T02:18:22Z")
You know what? If there are parents out there caring as best they can for their severely disabled kid, who’s stuck at the developmental level of a three-month-old baby, probably forever, and they’re looking down the barrel of having to do this for the rest of their lives, not to mention thinking and planning and worrying about what’s going to happen after they’re dead and gone, and picking a “cutesy” name for their kid’s issue like “Pillow Angel” helps them get through each day (and hour, and minute) just a little bit easier, then I for one am just FINE with that. Furthermore, IMNSHO the parents did the right thing. If I were in Ashley’s position you BET I’d want the treatment. And I know a lot of people have a different opinion on that, and that’s fine, but anyone whose involvement in this is limited to writing nasty things about the parents motivations in blogs while not having any intention of offering them any actual help for their awful situation - well those people need to be beaten to death with a stick of limp celery. Or maybe just pitted. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pillow-angel-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhghghgh/441178/18 "2008-03-13T03:01:50Z")
[QUOTE=Bryan Ekers] That’s an improvement? [/QUOTE] I suppose it depends on the user and the expectations…ye olde “your mileage may vary” seems to work as both a solution and a pun! ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pillow-angel-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhghghgh/441178/19 "2008-03-13T03:15:02Z")
Come on TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW, get with the times. We were all outraged and shit about this [_last year_](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=402779&highlight=PILLOW+ANGEL). ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pillow-angel-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhghghgh/441178/20 "2008-03-13T03:38:06Z")
[QUOTE=Smeghead] Stress from dealing with people who choose to be known as an incomprehensible string of letters? [/QUOTE] Looks to me like Too Long, Didn’t Read, I Don’t Know Just Kidding Laugh Out Loud For The Win. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pillow-angel-ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhghghgh/441178.md?page=2)