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TNJ4555 · 05-12-2004, 10:55 AM

Today's (5/12/04) NY Times:

May 12, 2004
Man Raised As a Girl Commits Suicide
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Filed at 2:29 p.m. ET

TORONTO (AP) -- David Reimer, a Canadian who was born as a boy but raised as a girl after a botched circumcision, has committed suicide after failed investments drove him into poverty. He was 38.

Reimer died in Winnipeg, Manitoba on May 4, according to Canadian media reports. The family has not released the cause of death.

Friends said an anguished Reimer had told them he had lost at least $47,500 last year in a shady pro golf shop investment.

Reimer gained fame in the mid-1990s when he went public with his ordeal. It was published in the book ``As Nature Made Him: The Boy Who Was Raised a Girl'' by John Colapinto.

The boy's experiences prompted medical experts in recent years to rethink once accepted wisdom on treating sexual identity cases.

When he was eight months old in 1965, a routine circumcision at a Winnipeg hospital went horribly wrong when a general practitioner filled in for the regular surgeon and seared the boy's penis with an electric cauterizing machine.

His penis was so badly burnt that it eventually fell off. His parents sought advice from Dr. John Money, a sex researcher at Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore, Md.

Attempting to prove that gender depends on how a child is raised rather than genetics, Money advocated removing the rest of the male genitalia and prescribing female hormones.

Brenda, as he was known, was 15 when he found out about the mishap and rejected further treatment as a girl. He underwent surgery to remove his breasts and to construct a penis from muscle tissue and cartilage.

Changing his name to David, he eventually married and led a quiet life working at low-paying jobs in Winnipeg.

Colapinto's book brought in money but acquaintances said Reimer was always struggling to make ends meet. Members of the Transcona Golf Club where he had worked once collected several hundred dollars so he could feed his family and staff gave him leftovers from the club restaurant.

The final misfortune was losing his savings last year in the golf shop deal, friends said.

The Manitoba Securities Commission warned potential investors last November that ``your money may be at risk'' if it was placed with shop owner Gary Perch.

Reimer is survived by his wife, Jane, and two adopted children.

05-12-2004, 10:55 AM	#1 (permalink)
TNJ4555 Tilted Location: Jersey	So....you think your life sucks? Today's (5/12/04) NY Times: May 12, 2004 Man Raised As a Girl Commits Suicide By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Filed at 2:29 p.m. ET TORONTO (AP) -- David Reimer, a Canadian who was born as a boy but raised as a girl after a botched circumcision, has committed suicide after failed investments drove him into poverty. He was 38. Reimer died in Winnipeg, Manitoba on May 4, according to Canadian media reports. The family has not released the cause of death. Friends said an anguished Reimer had told them he had lost at least $47,500 last year in a shady pro golf shop investment. Reimer gained fame in the mid-1990s when he went public with his ordeal. It was published in the book ``As Nature Made Him: The Boy Who Was Raised a Girl'' by John Colapinto. The boy's experiences prompted medical experts in recent years to rethink once accepted wisdom on treating sexual identity cases. When he was eight months old in 1965, a routine circumcision at a Winnipeg hospital went horribly wrong when a general practitioner filled in for the regular surgeon and seared the boy's penis with an electric cauterizing machine. His penis was so badly burnt that it eventually fell off. His parents sought advice from Dr. John Money, a sex researcher at Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore, Md. Attempting to prove that gender depends on how a child is raised rather than genetics, Money advocated removing the rest of the male genitalia and prescribing female hormones. Brenda, as he was known, was 15 when he found out about the mishap and rejected further treatment as a girl. He underwent surgery to remove his breasts and to construct a penis from muscle tissue and cartilage. Changing his name to David, he eventually married and led a quiet life working at low-paying jobs in Winnipeg. Colapinto's book brought in money but acquaintances said Reimer was always struggling to make ends meet. Members of the Transcona Golf Club where he had worked once collected several hundred dollars so he could feed his family and staff gave him leftovers from the club restaurant. The final misfortune was losing his savings last year in the golf shop deal, friends said. The Manitoba Securities Commission warned potential investors last November that ``your money may be at risk'' if it was placed with shop owner Gary Perch. Reimer is survived by his wife, Jane, and two adopted children.