Staff Reports
The winds of change are blowing through the halls of Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago as the hospital announces a pause on “gender care surgeries” for patients under the age of 19. This decision comes on the heels of President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed squarely at protecting minors from what many conservatives refer to as “chemical and surgical mutilation.” It seems that even some hospitals are finally putting the brakes on what many have described as reckless experimental procedures.
Lurie Children’s Hospital, in a not-so-shocking twist, declared that it’s reviewing the recent executive orders that address gender care. Their statement included language about advocating for “medically necessary care” grounded in “science and compassion.” One can’t help but wonder if “science” now includes the scientific method of critical thinking—something sorely lacking in many of these discussions. Regardless, they are temporarily halting surgeries, confirming suspicions that perhaps common sense is beginning to edge out progressive ideology.
Trump’s executive order, appropriately titled “Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation,” makes it abundantly clear: the federal government will not fund or support gender transitions for minors. In a move that many applaud, the order also insists that federal agencies take swift action to prevent the financial backing of these life-altering procedures. Who would have thought that protecting children’s well-being could actually garner bipartisan support, or at least a good portion of it?
Not everyone is on board with this development, however. A handful of families with “transgender” or “nonbinary” children are pushing back against Trump with a lawsuit designed to challenge these executive orders. This legal spat is just another chapter in the ongoing saga of the battle between progressive parenting and traditional family values. It’s as if there’s an ongoing competition over who can be the more radical defender of a child’s “rights” while ignoring the potential harm these decisions can do at such a tender age.
Chicago Children's Hospital Pauses 'Gender Care Surgeries' After President Trump's Executive Order https://t.co/hlbHQO0tpB
— Steve Ferguson (@lsferguson) February 8, 2025
Meanwhile, stories like that of Clementine Breen continue to surface. This young woman is suing her doctors for allegedly rushing her into potentially irreversible surgery starting at the tender age of 12. It raises the question: where were the adults in the room when a child was fast-tracked through that maze of hormones and scalpel? As reported, Breen was put on puberty blockers, then cross-sex hormones, and eventually underwent a double mastectomy by age 14. While hospitals are reportedly raking in millions from these procedures, it only underscores a troubling trend worth scrutinizing.
In the world of big medicine, where dollars seem to outweigh decisions, it seems some are finally waking up to the reality that more must be done to safeguard minors. If Lurie Children’s Hospital and others are pausing their surgeries, perhaps it is time to rethink what “necessary care” truly means. After all, when it comes to the well-being of children, a moment’s pause could prevent a lifetime of regret.
