Open AccessThe Body and its Able-ness: Articulating In/Eligibility through Rhetorics of Motherhood, Unjust Language, and Questionable Medical Authority
Author(s) -
Rachel D. Davidson,
Lara C. Stache
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
disability studies quarterly
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2159-8371
pISSN - 1041-5718
DOI - 10.18061/dsq.v36i1.4429
Subject(s) - girl , sociology , kidney transplant , gender studies , law , psychoanalysis , psychology , medicine , political science , kidney transplantation , transplantation , developmental psychology , surgery
This essay analyzes a controversy involving Amelia (Mia) Rivera, a three-year old girl who was denied a life-saving kidney transplant in January 2012. As reported by Mia's mother, Chrissy, on her blog post, Mia was denied the kidney transplant because of her mental disability. Throughout the public discussion that took place over a few short weeks, we argue Mia's ineligibility was rearticulated through rhetorics of motherhood, unjust body language, and questions about medical authority. we suggest this indicates that descriptions of the body and its able-ness carry more weight in the public's understanding of health issues than does medical authority.