A grieving mother has spoken out after her transgender son Noah O’Brien, 14, decided to end his life because he did not want to be a girl anymore.
The teen, who was born Lily, tragically died in January only months after telling his parents that he identified as a boy.
Speaking to ABC’s Four Corners, his heartbroken mother Lauren said that her son was anxious about going back to school in his new gender identity.
“My husband gave him CPR and the ambulance, and the police arrived about four minutes after we called them and they took him to Westmead Hospital, where he stayed alive until six in the morning,” Lauren said.
“That was from about 11 o’clock. So, we got seven hours to actually say goodbye.”
She also said that when her son first told her about his gender identity, she initially thought that he was being influenced by a friend.
“But the longer that time went on, we just saw, no, it was definitely just him, who he was.”
In an attempt to delay the onset of puberty, Noah tried to restrict his food intake.
The teen was then admitted to Westmead Children’s Hospital where they were told that he needed to seek support for gender issues.
Noah’s grandmother, Rose Marsh, said: “Lauren rang places, went to the doctors, tried everywhere to get help, but it was just like doors were closing in her face. Nobody was responding to her call for help.”
The 14-year-old was taken back to the hospital where he received treatment for anorexia. A social worker also told the family that he needed to be seen by staff who could help with his gender dysphoria.
However, a senior staff member said clinicians must focus on dealing with Noah’s anorexia in isolation.
According to Four Corners, the teen “was effectively denied any specialist gender support by the hospital.”
He was increasingly worried about going back to school in his new gender identity that he decided to end his life.
“I feel like he didn’t get any help or support in making that transition to become a male,” the heartbroken grandmother said. “We did all we could, Lauren did more than anyone ever could, but we just didn’t get any help from anywhere that could help us.”
What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments section and SHARE this story with your friends and family!