A family's struggle to ensure their transgender son receives comprehensive medical care
“'We won't treat him here': the phrase hit us like a hammer blow of reality.” This is how the letter released Wednesday by the family of Gonzalo, the 13-year-old trans boy whom the Children's Hospital of La Plata refused to treat with hormone therapy, begins. Although there has been no official statement yet, the institution maintains that its intention all along was to request time to better train the medical team.
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By Anita Aliberti Photos: Ariel Gutraich “'We're not going to treat him here': the phrase hit us like a hammer blow of reality.” This is how the letter released Wednesday by the family of Gonzalo, the 13-year-old trans boy whose hormone treatment was refused by the Children's Hospital of La Plata, begins. Although there has been no official statement yet, the institution maintains that its intention all along was to request time to better train the medical team. Mauro, Gonzalo's father, is hopeful that they will reconsider, although the objective goes beyond his son's treatment: they want a protocol drafted and implemented for the care of trans people in the Province's health institutions. “We don't want Gonza to be an exception. We don't want our children to live in a world for the few,” Mauro told Presentes.
"A misinterpretation"
“We’re not prepared, we don’t have the equipment, we don’t have the experience, the mental health service doesn’t have the capacity, come back next year when the hospital is ready.” These were some of the excuses the institution gave the family, in addition to “recommending” that they seek treatment at the Pedro de Elizalde Children’s General Hospital in Buenos Aires. Mauro and Susana, Gonzalo’s parents, say there was no formal referral, “nobody wanted to sign anything. Nobody wanted to take responsibility.” However, the Provincial Ministry of Health says it was a misinterpretation and has summoned the parents to a meeting next Monday, October 2nd. Gonzalo's story came to light a few months ago when a tweet from his father went viral: “A 12-year-old son is being born to me,” Mauro wrote on Twitter. “A son is being born to me in the exact place where my daughter was for 12 years.” He had only recently created an account on the social network, but he wanted to try it out: “I needed to learn how to say that I have a trans son, to put it into words,” he explained.an interview with Presents.[READ MORE: The story behind a viral tweet: “I’m having a 12-year-old son”]
Almost three months ago, Gonzalo decided to begin hormone-blocking treatment at the Children's Hospital. He, his parents, and sister spent the first month researching, reading everything they could find on the subject, and talking with professionals. The preliminary tests also took almost a month, as did the paperwork with their health insurance. Just when they finally got the medication authorized, the hospital told them they had decided not to treat the case. “We firmly believe that teams aren't built by rejecting patients. And that mental health services are only indispensable if we have a pathologizing view of trans children,” Gonzalo's parents wrote in the letter.
Gonzalo began treatment at the Dr. Ricardo Gutiérrez Zonal Acute Care Hospital and is due to receive his second dose in 15 days. Although the institution has a medical team specializing in this type of treatment, Mauro says it's a distressing situation to take his son to an adult hospital. “The professionals are excellent, but they aren't trained to treat children, and it's not necessary; there's no concrete reason why my son can't be treated at the Children's Hospital.”
What the law says
Mauro knows that the institution carries out this same treatment with other patients of Gonza's age, who are familiar with its effects and how to monitor it: "What changes in his case is the reason; Gonza made the decision to begin treatment." Article 11 of Law 26.743 on Gender Identity stipulates the "right to free personal development (...) in order to guarantee the enjoyment of their comprehensive health, access to total and partial surgical interventions and/or comprehensive hormonal treatments to adapt their body, including their genitalia, to their self-perceived gender identity, without the need to require judicial or administrative authorization."[READ MORE: Lucas, the trans boy from Entre Ríos who asked to change his ID]
The law also clarifies that the child's wishes must be respected, as stipulated in Article 5 of the same law, "taking into account the principles of evolving capacities and the best interests of the child, in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child and Law 26.061 on the comprehensive protection of the rights of children and adolescents." Gonzalo's family says that the decision to make the case public is related to respecting the spirit of the law: "It is designed so that nothing has to go to court, but rather that things are resolved through administrative procedures."[READ ALSO: “Pink boys, blue girls”: a documentary about trans children]
Gonzalo celebrated his first birthday yesterday with his chosen identity. His father says that although he's anxious, he's confident everything will turn out well. After writing the letter, Mauro and Susana read it to Gonzalo to see what he thought. He listened attentively, and when they finished, he looked at them and said, "This has to work."”.]]>We are Present
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