A transgender woman took her own life after a botched backyard surgery by an unlicensed ‘practitioner’ with ‘less training than a vet’ left her body horribly mutilated.
Frustrated at not being able to find a more conventional surgeon, the 24-year-old went through an ordeal in October 2019 in an attempt to have her testicles removed.
The surgery, performed on a tarp placed over a bed in a Melbourne home, led to serious complications, including excessive bleeding.
The botched operation was abandoned and the victim was rushed to Casey Hospital in the southeast of the city.
After the failed surgery, the victim was rushed to Melbourne’s Casey Hospital.
Cecilia Jones, a friend of the transgender woman, revealed details of the horrific incident.
“He said he was on a tarp on a bed and there was blood everywhere,” Jones said. the Herald of the Sun.
‘She was feeling desperate and this guy she found online.
“In my view, a veterinarian was better (qualified).”
The transgender woman’s mother, Rachel Byrne, is furious that the hospital did not report the matter to the police, despite being told what happened.
“No one cared about my son, that is unforgivable,” he said.
Monash Health, operator of Casey Hospital, declined to comment to the Herald Sun, citing “ongoing obligations to protect patient privacy and confidentiality”.
The transgender woman took her own life 18 months after the operation, using a drug from an Australian chemical company that is under investigation.
It is unclear whether the “surgeon” can be charged, as Australian laws target those who falsely claim to be licensed professionals, not those who make no such claims.
The Victorian coroner is currently investigating the suicide, along with four others committed by transgender people.
In a submission to the inquiry, Transgender Victoria stated that gender-affirming care is difficult to obtain and that male-to-female surgery costs from $20,000 and can also be prohibitively expensive.
“Female genital surgery may be difficult or impossible to perform in Victoria or Australia,” the submission states.
‘A trans or gender diverse person will often delay affirming their gender until living in their birth gender becomes intolerable.
This often manifests in a strong feeling that your options are to affirm your gender or commit suicide.’
The advocacy group said trans people have one of the highest rates of suicidal thoughts and attempts in Australia and that gender-affirming care is “medically necessary” to save lives.
Monash Health has been contacted for comment.
