As Nature Made Him

As Nature Made Him; By: John Colapinto
This is a really intersting book i read!

Ron Reimer and Janet Schultz ancestors were Mennonites, formed in 16th century Holland. Huge numbers if their ancestors came to America in the 1800’s, settling in the Nebraska and Kansas area. Both were rebellious to the Mennonite ways thus meeting each other. At the age of seventeen, Ron went along with his friend Rudy Hildebrandt to visit Rudy’s girlfriend Tina in Steinbach. Tina’s cousin, Janet has moved in with her and takes a liking to Ron.
Janet and Ron spent their summer together and at the age of eighteen Janet was pregnant. The couple had already planned on marriage, but this only sped up their plans. So they were married December 19, 1964. August 22, 1965 Janet was four weeks due with twins, but she was sent in early to the St. Boniface Hospital, where she successfully gave birth to identical twin boys. They were named Brian and Bruce.


Up to six months of age the boys grew up happily and healthy and the family was feeling successful in life. At seven months Janet noticed that the boys seemed in pain when they urinated, she took them to a pediatrician who diagnosed the problem as phimosis. What was happening was that the foreskin of their penises began to seal at the tip. This would be easily resolved by a circumcision. Ron and Janet agreed and April 27 1966, the twins were scheduled for their operation. Due to unknown reasons the normal pediatrician was unavailable that morning for the operation so Dr. Jean-Marie Huot was in charge. A Bovie cautery machine was used to cut the foreskin quickly and easily by sending an electric current through a needle and cutting where ever needed. But a mistake was made and the machine was turned up to high, a cluster of smoke came up from Bruce’s groin and it stunk of cooking meat. Immediately the child underwent an emergency suprapubic cystotomy in order for him to urinate, then he was sent to the burn ward. Brian was not operated on.


The family went through some very difficult times as they sought out doctors to figure out what to do. One day they saw an interview of Dr. Money on TV. His ideas made them consider a sex change of Bruce. Janet quickly wrote this Dr. Money about their position and he optimistically wrote back saying what could be done for Bruce at the John Hopkins hospital.
After some great consideration and look into Dr. Moneys background the couple decided to go through with the sex change of their son Bruce. July 3, 1967 at twenty two months old, Bruce went into a surgical castration in a gynecologic operating room at the John Hopkins hospital. They mainly removed both testicles, and prepared for a surgery in later years, where they would insert a functional vagina. Until that age, Ron and Janet were supposed to treat Bruce now as a Brenda.


This was harder than expected, Brenda’s first dress was not pleasing to her at all and she tore at it trying to get it off. Rather than playing with dolls she got as presents, she would always play with her brother’s boy toys. When it came time for her to go to school, she never fit in. She always acted like a guy, and didn’t like playing with girly things. She was rough and rowdy, and when in fights she would always win. Though her parents weren’t worried, they were told that she was just a tomboy.


Her annual therapy sessions with Dr. Money didn’t go so well either. She quickly learned that it was hard to explain how she really felt because she was gender confused, so instead of saying the truth she would say what she thought Dr. Money wanted to her. Such as, I like to play with dolls. Yet she couldn’t hide her feelings forever and at the age of seven when it came time for her to make the decision of completing the process of becoming a girl she refused. She knew that she was a boy not a girl.


This book it a good example of situations that happen a lot. These types of situations affect our society in many ways and it’s something we should be aware about. I believe that a decision should be made about whether we should allow sex changes like this to happen or not. In this case the person doesn’t even want it, but may be forced into it by their parents. But in other cases people may want it because they feel that they are not the correct sex. I think that these types of sex changes are wrong, because as Dr. Moneys research showed, whether you are a boy or girl is determined by birth, but whether you find people of the same sex attractive is more determined on your environment, I believe that is true. I have heard some people say that homosexuals were born the way they are, but I can’t seem to believe that until they can prove it. Either way, I think that the government needs to make a decision about surgeries like these; whether they are ethical or not. It also depends on the case I suppose; it seems that in this case it wouldn’t be right to give an operation against the persons will.


This conflict is one of many we have in the U.S. about what morally right and what not, so it seems to me at this point, this isn’t the biggest issue out there. It is something that people in general should know their opinion about and it’s good to be aware, but this isn’t a disease that is hazardous or a major issue that could kill you. But, this book is very informative about how the U.S. responded to a situation like that, and it’s useful to know about it. It applies to your common everyday news, and it’s good to keep up to date.