Austin Mitchell

Peggy's report was matter-of-fact in talking about the significance of this moment. She simply wrote that the case is the first we know of in which a young person struggling with their gender had been given this drug. The report doesn't note the unexpected way in which it had come about. With a doctor who hadn't even been working with trans kids...

Peggy's report was matter-of-fact in talking about the significance of this moment. She simply wrote that the case is the first we know of in which a young person struggling with their gender had been given this drug. The report doesn't note the unexpected way in which it had come about. With a doctor who hadn't even been working with trans kids...

Henrietta Delamar Vandewaal died in 2014, but her husband told us that he doesn't think she saw this as some revolutionary act. This was a drug she was already using with her other patients. She understood the side effects. She saw a kid who was really hurting. And after consulting her colleagues, she decided that this might help.

Henrietta Delamar Vandewaal died in 2014, but her husband told us that he doesn't think she saw this as some revolutionary act. This was a drug she was already using with her other patients. She understood the side effects. She saw a kid who was really hurting. And after consulting her colleagues, she decided that this might help.

He doesn't think that she had any idea, really, how transformational this would turn out to be. To use this drug in this whole new way with FG.

He doesn't think that she had any idea, really, how transformational this would turn out to be. To use this drug in this whole new way with FG.

When he was 16, FG was referred to Peggy's office. He had been on blockers for several years, and during that time, he had remained certain about his desire to transition, to live as a boy. So the next step would be to go off the blockers and onto hormones, in his case, testosterone, a step that was only available because Peggy and Louis had lowered the age from 18 to 16.

When he was 16, FG was referred to Peggy's office. He had been on blockers for several years, and during that time, he had remained certain about his desire to transition, to live as a boy. So the next step would be to go off the blockers and onto hormones, in his case, testosterone, a step that was only available because Peggy and Louis had lowered the age from 18 to 16.

But the report noted that his parents were, quote, not happy with the idea of sex reassignment. And that for FG, the prospect of being forced to resume female puberty was creating so much distress that ultimately his general practitioner sent his family to Peggy.

But the report noted that his parents were, quote, not happy with the idea of sex reassignment. And that for FG, the prospect of being forced to resume female puberty was creating so much distress that ultimately his general practitioner sent his family to Peggy.

Once he started seeing Peggy, he underwent several assessments. Peggy talked in her report about the results of his IQ test, his personality tests, a Rorschach test. She mentioned he went through several therapy sessions, and so did his family, and he also attended group therapy sessions with peers.

Once he started seeing Peggy, he underwent several assessments. Peggy talked in her report about the results of his IQ test, his personality tests, a Rorschach test. She mentioned he went through several therapy sessions, and so did his family, and he also attended group therapy sessions with peers.

When she concluded that there were no psychological issues that might interfere with his decision, she recommended he begin hormone treatment.

When she concluded that there were no psychological issues that might interfere with his decision, she recommended he begin hormone treatment.

Yeah. For FG, the pain he was feeling was similar to what Peggy had seen with her adult patients. It wasn't just that he felt he was in the wrong body. It was also that the world saw him as something he felt he wasn't. Peggy noted this in her report. She said that the idea that people around him would see him as someone who used to be a girl but was now a boy was, quote, shameful.

Yeah. For FG, the pain he was feeling was similar to what Peggy had seen with her adult patients. It wasn't just that he felt he was in the wrong body. It was also that the world saw him as something he felt he wasn't. Peggy noted this in her report. She said that the idea that people around him would see him as someone who used to be a girl but was now a boy was, quote, shameful.

So rather than go through this transition in front of his classmates, FG decided to stay on the blockers an extra two years, meaning his body essentially remained frozen in his 13-year-old state until he was 18. Then, after high school, he took a year off to begin hormone treatments and go through male puberty as privately as he could.

So rather than go through this transition in front of his classmates, FG decided to stay on the blockers an extra two years, meaning his body essentially remained frozen in his 13-year-old state until he was 18. Then, after high school, he took a year off to begin hormone treatments and go through male puberty as privately as he could.

Even going to the clinic to get his hormone treatments was a stressful experience.

Even going to the clinic to get his hormone treatments was a stressful experience.