A sensitive account of a traumatic childhood

'As Nature Made Him: The Boy Who Was Raised as a Girl' By John Colapinto
(HarperCollins)
304 pages

By Josh Zelman

March 30, 2000
Web posted at: 5:02 p.m. EST (2202 GMT)

(CNN) -- When John Colapinto read an update to the landmark 1967 case of a baby boy being converted into a girl, and then back to a boy at the age of 14, the author envisioned a great story.

"I first saw it encapsulated in a New York Times, March 1997 front-page article," Colapinto explains. "The (original sex change) had failed and there were interesting details about the child and his life, but there was not a tremendous amount of detail."

David Reimer's family had agreed to surgically change him into a girl after his circumcision was botched. The radical treatment was recommended by a leading expert in gender identity, and was initially reported to be successful.

But the reality was very different. Reimer struggled with his imposed gender -- a struggle made more difficult by the fact that his identical twin, who had not been similarly injured, was growing up as a normal boy.

At age 14, Reimer learned the truth about himself and decided to go back to living as a male.

	ALSO
Excerpt: 'As Nature Made Him: The Boy Who Was Raised as A Girl'

"I was immediately fascinated," Colapinto says. "How did this child grow up and survive? The article mentioned that this was then done to other children -– this was a precedent-setting case. I was reaching for the phone when my editor called and said, 'Can you try and find this person?'"

What followed was an award-winning article published in Rolling Stone Magazine and the book about David Reimer, "As Nature Made Him: The Boy Who Was Raised as A Girl."

However, before Colapinto could get the story, he had to get Reimer.

"I was both excited and terrified," Colapinto says. "This was the ultimate dead-end. On the one hand, it would be great if I could find him -– it would be the most remarkable story filled with human drama. Then I was thinking, 'I will never get it.' How do you get someone to talk about the most damaging emotional moments in their life?"

Colapinto started with Dr. Milton Diamond, now a professor at the University of Hawaii, and an avid opponent of the sex change operation from the start.

"I first talked to Diamond, he was the gatekeeper ... and spent months communicating with him," Colapinto explains.

Eventually, Colapinto’s empathy and tenacity won the trust of both Diamond and Reimer. The three met for drinks at a New York City bar, and after a few hours, Reimer handpicked the Rolling Stone author to tell his story.

Now in his 30s, David Reimer has come to grips with his traumatic past and is happily married with three stepchildren. And while he can’t ignore the occasional flashbacks, going public with his story has been cleansing.

"David thought people would be disgusted by him," Colapinto says, "but he was stopped on the streets of New York by people who said 'You have such courage for trying to stop this practice.' The positive feedback made him feel so good. He just blossomed because of this."

Josh Zelman works with CNN NewsStand. He enjoys spending time outdoors. This is his third contribution to CNN Interactive.

y: Circumcision choice more complex than ever
March 1999
Pediatricians turn away from circumcision
March 1, 1999
Circumcision study halted due to trauma
December 23, 1997
Report offers no distinct guidance on circumcision
April 1, 1997

HarperCollins Publishers

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.