Leo Waddell, Transgender Pre-Teen, Denied Hormone Treatment To Prevent Puberty

WATCH: 12-Year-Old Transgender Boy Fights Doctor's Hormone Blocker Denial

A 12-year-old transgender boy is fighting alongside his mother after a British medical practitioner denied his request for hormone blockers that would halt the onslaught of puberty on his biologically female body.

Leo Waddell, who has reportedly lived as a boy since the age of five, is attempting to curtail the effects of puberty by taking hormone blockers until he turns 16. He then plans to begin taking testosterone, and eventually seek medical intervention for gender reassignment surgery at the age of 18.

Appearing on the popular U.K. talk show "This Morning," host Phillip Schofield read a statement from Waddell's general practitioner regarding his refusal to prescribe the young man hormone blockers:

I have no previous experience of administering this specialist medication to young people. I have already sought advice from my prescribing authority. Any clinical decision I make always gives consideration to every aspect of the patient's wellbeing. My priority is always infused with the welfare of the patient.

Waddell initially appeared on "This Morning" back in June, revealing his gender identity to the world and stating that "I would kill myself if I had to remain a girl."

Check out this video of Waddell from his June appearance on "This Morning," then scroll down to keep reading.

Hayley, Waddell's mother, appeared alongside her son on the show and fully supports his desire to begin treatment and transition. "'What so many people don't understand is that I feel it's far more dangerous for Leo to not have these hormone blockers," she said. "The things he has to go though, the emotions and the torment is slowly bringing him down and down."

With the transgender conversation coming into the national spotlight with Chelsea Manning's coming out and mainstream media representations such as Laverne Cox in "Orange Is The New Black," more trans children and their parents have been gaining increasing visibility. Notably, 16-year-old Ashton Lee was at the forefront of the fight for Califronia's transgender bathroom bill that passed last month, changing the nature of the state's public school system for all transgender individuals.

Waddell and his mother vow to continue seeking medical treatment from different general practitioners until the transgender young man is prescribed the hormone blockers to halt the effects of puberty.

"All we can do is go around all the GPs and find someone who is sympathetic to trans children and is prepared to prescribe," said Hayley.

Before You Go

1. Defining Transgenderism

15 Things To Know About Being Transgender By Nicholas M. Teich

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