A Queensland mum’s public show of support for her son – announced in a newspaper births section 19 years after the fact – has earned her fans worldwide.
Yolanda Bogert placed an ad in The Courier-Mail this week, saying she got things a bit wrong when she lodged her child’s original birth notice almost two decades ago.
‘In 1995 we announced the arrival of our sprogget Elizabeth Anne as a daughter. Oops our bad. We would like to present our wonderful son Kai Bogert,’ the ad read.
Just a few days before placing the revised birth notice, Ms Bogert learned the child she had raised as a girl, hadn’t been living that way for some time.
After Elizabeth, who is now known as Kai, told his mother, she knew she had to do something to leave him in no doubt about her feelings.
‘I needed to show my son I support him 100 per cent and wanted to let the world know that,’ Ms Bogert told the newspaper.
‘It is all very new to us. Kai just told me a few days ago that he no longer wanted to live as a girl.’
She said there had been signs over the years that her child was different, but the subject had never been openly discussed.
Kai said his mum’s gesture was a very big thing.
‘I am so happy with what she has done. This last week has changed everything for me. I am still me but I am more me than I was a few days ago and feel free,’ he told the paper.
The story has gone viral on social media, and has even been picked up by international media outlets, including newspapers in the UK.
