5 years ago, Mimi and Joe Lemay brought their new baby Mia home from the hospital. By age 2, Mia was insisting on being referred to as a boy. After initially hoping that their child's insistence would go away, they are now happily raising him as Jacob.
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"Transgender children as young as 5-years-old respond to psychological gender-association tests just as consistently as children who do not identify as trans," according to a study released by researchers at the University of Washington.
Mimi and Joe first saw their child rejecting feminine behaviors when refusing to wear typical girl clothing, instead opting to wear this doggy sweater for months at a time.
The parents told NBC Nightly News, "her need to play more boy roles, her need to be seen and spoken to as a boy at home became more persistent and very consistent."
At first, Mimi was "confused and concerned, and wished this obsession would go away." But a near tragic car accident shook her to the core, and she decided that it was time to let her child live as Jacob.
Then, the parents were introduced to a viral video featuring Ryland Wiittington. The parents saw how happy Ryland was and decided to show Jacob the video.
Before the transition, his parents said, "He didn't smile a lot." But quickly after they began the transition, Jacob's true personality began to SHINE!
