Documentary Description
On 22 August 1965 Janet Reimer was granted her dearest wish: she
gave birth to twins. The two boys, Brian and Bruce, were healthy
babies, but they would lead tragic lives, blighted by one scientist's
radical theory.
When they were seven
months old, the boys, who lived in Winnipeg, Canada, were sent to the
local hospital for a routine circumcision. Unfortunately the doctor in
charge of the procedure was using electrical equipment, which
malfunctioned several times. On the last trial, Bruce's entire penis
was burnt off. Brian was not operated on. The family were distraught.
In the Sixties plastic surgery was not an option: even today it is not
recommended that new-borns undergo penis reconstruction operations.
It
wasn't until several months later that Janet and her husband, Ron, saw
a television programme that gave them some hope. Dr John Money, a
highly renowned sexologist, featured in a debate about sex change
operations on transsexuals. He had brought a transsexual with him who
was convincingly feminine looking
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