The Story of Different Minds  ·  ECT, Lobotomy and Control

Rosemary Kennedy and Lobotomy

A famous case that exposed the damage of irreversible control.

A young woman's life was changed by a procedure chosen for her.

Simple version

Rosemary Kennedy's lobotomy became one of the most famous examples of how families and doctors could make life altering decisions without the person's meaningful consent.

Why it matters

Her story points to the wider harm done to many less famous people.

Awareverse lens

Awareverse asks whose voice is missing whenever a decision is made.

Question to ask

When looking at rosemary kennedy and lobotomy, ask: who had power, who was being labelled, and what would have changed if the human being had been seen first?

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