My 3-year-old son wants to be a girl

After agonising over the decision, Kerry and her husband Craig allowed Daniel to live as Danni. Photo / Facebook

A mother has spoken of the upsetting moment her three-year-old son revealed he wanted to become a girl.

Kerry McFadyen was stunned by what Daniel told her as he was having his bath and feared he might hurt himself.

She could not bear to see him unhappy and so, after agonising over the decision, she and her husband Craig allowed Daniel to live as Danni in what is believed to be the UK's youngest case of a child wanting to change sex.

Mrs McFadyen, 32, said she gave Daniel a hug when the "bathroom incident" happened three years ago. She added: "It was very upsetting to see him like that, no mum should have to see their child so upset in their own skin."

The couple approached their GP for advice and were sent to the UK's NHS Trust in Leeds where Daniel was diagnosed with gender dysphoria, where someone is distressed because of a mismatch between their biological sex and their gender identity.

Doctors said they could give Danni drugs to postpone puberty as well as hormone treatments, before NHS gender realignment surgery at 18.

Mrs McFadyen said it was a relief to get a diagnosis. "We were worried he would be bullied at school," she told Mail Online.

"But in the end we agreed to let Daniel be who he wanted to be. Our fears weren't enough to stop him being a girl, if that's what he wanted."

Now Danni, six, has long hair, wears girls' clothes and claims to have a girl's head and a boy's body.

Mrs McFadyen, who has four other children, wants to raise awareness of gender dysphoria by telling Danni's story to help parents in a similar situation.

She has set up a Facebook page, My Transgender Child, to encourage parents to share experiences.

She added: "It took me a long time to come to terms with losing Daniel. But my daughter is so happy now."

- Daily Mail