Follow up on Houston boy who's mom cut off his genitals

[SplitDik (imported)]

The article includes video.

http://www.khou.com/community/Whats-Rig ... 10859.html

What's Right: Boy mutilated by mom is thriving with new family

by Sherry Williams / KHOU 11 News

khou.com

Posted on July 6, 2011 at 6:06 PM

Warning: This story involves some graphic and disturbing details.

HOUSTON -- Four years ago the world was horrified by a most unusual case of genital mutilation. The victim was a five-week-old baby boy.

In March of 2007, Holden Gothia’s mother, Katherine Nadal, took a knife and cut off all his private parts. She also cut deeply into his leg.

"His femoral vein was severed and his artery was punctured," said Patches Deshazo, Holden’s paternal aunt who adopted him.

Nadal got 99 years in prison for what she did. She claimed the small family dog was responsible for Holden’s brutal injuries. During trial, it was revealed that she used cocaine and appeared unconcerned in the minutes after she mutilated her baby.

Four years later, Holden is having the best life possible in Deer Park with the only family he has ever known. Not only did he survive the brutal attack, he is thriving.

"Holden is amazing," Deshazo said. He is the baby brother to the family’s three boys, ages 24, 17 and 14.

"He’s got ten times more energy than I do. He wears me out daily," said Parker Deshazo, a 17-year-old high school football player.

Holden doesn’t typically call his adopted brothers by name. Instead he refers to them as, "The Bubbas," collectively and individually, his mom Patches said.

He sat still just long enough for an interview about what he wants to be when he grows up.

"A football player and a Power Ranger and a drummer," Holden said.

He sings too.

"’Standing on the corner.’ That’s Dean Martin," he said. When told that’s an old song, Holden replied, "Well, not for me."

Then he grabbed the reporter’s microphone and started interviewing her and his family members.

"When’s your birthday?" he asked.

"September 16th," one "Bubba" answered. "July 3rd," said another.

Holden sees his biological dad, Camden, on a regular basis. But his mom said he doesn’t know about his biological mother. Patches said when the time comes she will tell him about her, and in an age-appropriate way, tell him what she did to him.

"His story is his story and it’s not gonna’ change no matter how we feel or how badly we want to change it," said Patches. "And so we don’t ever want him to feel shameful. I just feel like it’s going to be healthier for him to just own his story and for him to be really okay with it. "

She said Holden looks at his dad and his brothers and figures the only reason he doesn’t look like them is because he is too young. He thinks his penis and testicles will grow when he is older.

"There is nothing," where they should be, said Patches Deshazo. "There’s just a hole where the urethra meets the surface of the skin and it looks a lot like here," she said, pointing to the inside of her arm, "but with a lot of scar tissue, like a burn victim," she said.

Just before he hits puberty Holden will face extensive and expensive reconstructive surgery, estimated to cost at least half a million dollars.

To help pay for it, strangers, well-wishers, family and friends have donated $300,000 so far.

There was a benefit concert in Lake Charles, Louisiana on June 5. Holden took the stage to thank the crowd and was reluctant to give the mic back, his mom said. He also enjoyed playing a drum solo.

His family has created a website: Heroes for Holden.org for those wishing to show support.

"As he gets older those are gonna’ be the challenging and difficult days," said Kent Deshazo, Holden’s dad.

The family relies heavily on their Faith in God.

"I thought that I was a pretty good Christian and faithful before all this happened and I was pretty far off," said Patches. "I don’t know how people get through a situation like this without faith."

But his family said if anyone can come through it all with resilience and strength, it’s Holden.

"He’s the strongest person I’ve ever met," said Parker.

[lenaugyy (imported)]

Personally I doubt it will be a pleasant experience for him when they put him on HRT so that he can go through puberty.

They say they want him to have an emotionally stable life, pumping testosterone into him is probably one of the most shocking things they can do to him. It's like going through the horror twice. First somebody cut off his genitals without consent and then somebody will talk him into going on very powerful hormones. I can't help not to feel sorry for that child. First and foremost they should make sure he understands his situation. And it looks like he does not even realize he is different!

Maybe somebody that knows how to write here could help us compose a letter to them to make them at least consider delaying HRT. If they knew more about it maybe they would reconsider their approach. I'm sure they're doing whatever they think is best for him and having new knowledge would perhaps change what they think is best.

[Riverwind (imported)]

The deepest corner of hell is to nice a place for that mother, but I do hope she has a very miserable long long life in prison.

As for the boy, I tend to agree with you however I also believe that when he is a bit older there will be countless hours of counseling for the child which may continue for years and I don't think they would just hit him with a bunch of T all at once.

River

[erikboy (imported)]

Me as a technocrat am thinking that there are plenty of free testicles and penises available for transplantation. Modern neurosurgery could even return some feelings from transplanted penis and make it even to work. Transplanted testicles could be much better T source than just messing with gel etc. Better and natural than having a warm prothesis. Not long ago scientists were able to develope living sperms from ....cells. Damn, can't remember the name of the cell type, but it is the cell from which all other cells can be made. So, technically he could become a functional male again in all aspects.

From ethical point of view, it depends on the ethic of a person wether it is ethical to have real transplants or to have own sperm made of these ...cells.

[organman (imported)]

I hope she does rot in hell. Why would anyone do such a thing??

[curious_guy (imported)]

Not long ago scientists were able to develope living sperms from ....cells. Damn, can't remember the name of the cell type, but it is the cell from which all other cells can be made.

I think you mean stem cells.

[erikboy (imported)]

exactly, stemcells. there was an article too about that, I posted it on news area but it seem to be lost in moderation. The experiment was done on mice. So basically any eunuch could father a child soon.

[chemcast scot (imported)]

Hell would be to good a place for this sort of mother but no doubt other prisoners will deal with her and she will be looking over her back every day of her life in prison

[speedvogel (imported)]

In my opinion, there is not really a good solution to this youngster's situation. Either leaving him as he is or trying reconstructive surgery and intense counseling would be, at best, a problematic solution.

Speed

[Hash (imported)]

Its sounds like the making of a David Reimer case. You remember, botched circumcision led to him being turned into a girl and then once finding out he was born a boy, he decided to live as a man, only to commit suicide years later.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Reimer

At least in this case, they didn't try to turn Holden into a girl, and I bet it's because of David Reimer's case. All of you have given some good input. I agree that pumping testosterone into him for the first time might be difficult for him to deal with, but that's what puberty does to all boys. It's also true that in a few years they might be able to transplant both penis and testicles giving him back what was lost. I think that will be his best option. I wonder if there's any stump at all, if there is, testosterone might grow the stump enough for him to orgasm and the testosterone will give him some sense of sexuality. But I don't know if there's a stump or not. I hope so for his sake, I think that will be necessary to attach a donor penis and or testicles. There has to be some small remnants to make attaching donor genitalia feasible. We can only hope for the best. On the hand, if he determines he's transgendered, then that'll be an easier fix down below. I do wonder if growing up without a penis and testicles affects the mind in some way that makes one think more about what sex they are? That's a psychological issue that might be interesting to watch. I know that after several years of being castrated, I no longer feel male, I consider myself a eunuch. My mind excepts it and I'm happy about it, however, I wanted to be castrated too, so it's complicated.