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Zach Avery, 5 yr old boy with gender identity disorder, living as a girl

By Staff K 20/02/2012 11:40:00

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Zach Avery with mum Theresa

Zach Avery was convinced he wasn't supposed to be male and even tried to cut off his privates in frustration.

Now proudly sporting blond pigtails and a purple tutu, he has been living as a girl for more than a year.

His mum Theresa, 32, said: "He just turned round to me one day when he was three and said 'Mummy, I'm a girl'.

"I assumed he was just going through a phase and just left it at that.

"But then it got serious and he would become upset if anyone referred to him as a boy."
His Gender Identity Disorder (GID) first manifested itself when he was three and he refused to continue living as a boy.

Zach used to love Thomas the Tank Engine but suddenly decided he wanted to live as a girl in late 2010.

He became obsessed with the girly kids' TV character Dora the Explorer and started dressing in girls' clothes.

Theresa admits missing her little boy and says she wants to raise awareness about the disorder.

The mum-of-four hopes Zach's story will also help other families living with the same experience and let them know there is support available.

She said: "I would love to have my son back, but I want him to be happy. If this is the route he wants to take - if this is what makes him happy - then so be it. I would rather him have my full support.

"People need to be aware of this condition because it's very common but even many family support workers have never heard of cases in children. There are people out there but they don't want to talk about it."

Last year Zach became one of the youngest children ever to be diagnosed with the disorder.

Theresa and husband Darren Avery, 41, had grown worried and took him to see a specialist at the Tavistock and Patman Foundation Trust in London.

Theresa said: "They told us that although he had a male body, his brain was telling him he was a girl."

In light of the diagnosis Zach's school, Purfleet Primary in Essex, turned the toilet block used by his year gender-neutral.

Theresa said: "We explained to the other kids at the school that Zachy's body was that of a boy but in his brain he was a girl. We said Zach was just happier being a girl than a boy.

"But the other kids haven't batted an eyelid, they've accepted Zach as Zach and there's been no problems at the school with bullying.

"The school has been brilliant and really, really supportive."

Zach now wears a girl's trouser uniform and black boots with pink trim to class.

Theresa said: "He just wants to be like a little girl and he's very happy with his long blond hair, pink and red bedroom and a wardrobe full of girls clothes.

"He likes playing with his sister's old toys but he still loves Dr Who too and playing with his brother. And we still put some neutral clothes in his wardrobe if he ever decides he wants to wear them.

"We leave it up to him to decide what he wants to do - if he changes his mind and wants to be a boy again then he does, but if he doesn't, he doesn't."

Figures from the NHS Tavistock and Patman Foundation Trust clinic - the national body for GID - reveal 165 children have been diagnosed with GID this year.

But last year only seven children under the age of five were diagnosed with GID.

A Foundation spokesman said: "It is more unusual for children of this age to express cross-gender identification - that is the wish or belief that they belong to the opposite sex."

For help and advice on gender identity call the Beaumont Trust on 07000 287 878