The Tragic Story of The Boy Who Was Raised As a Girl

Bruce and Brian Reimer were twin boys born in Winnipeg, Canada in August, 1965. Their story took a tragic turn after both babies needed to receive medical attention that would ultimately change their lives forever.

However, it would be Bruce’s life that would take a harrowing turn and become the subject for psychological debates all over the world.

Where It All Started

At seven months old, both twin boys were experiencing problems urinating. Their parents Janet and Ron Reimer brought the twins to the doctor where they were diagnosed with phimosis.

Under the advice from the doctor, a simple routine circumcision was scheduled to treat the baby boys. However, the procedure would be anything but straightforward.

A Routine Procedure Gone Horribly Wrong

The morning following the circumcisions, Janet Reimer received a phone call from the hospital informing her that Bruce had been in a terrible accident.

The doctors had used an electrical cauterizing needle instead of a blade that malfunctioned and brutally burned off Bruce’s penis.

A Horrified Mother

Janet Reimer recalled being immensely shocked on the phone saying, “I could not comprehend what he was talking about. I thought they were going to use a knife.

I didn’t know there was electricity involved.”

A Devastating Future

Terrified for their baby boys, Janet and Ron took their sons home from the hospital painfully aware that their child’s life would never be the same again.

As Bruce was the first to undergo the procedure, Brian’s surgery was subsequently cancelled by his parents and his phimosis later cleared up on its own.