Ontario woman files lawsuit against healthcare providers over irreversible gender transition

Michelle Zacchigna, a 34-year-old woman from Orillia, Ontario, recently announced a lawsuit she filed against the eight doctors and mental health professionals who treated her over the years, alleging that they failed to address her complex mental health needs and instead allowed her to self-diagnose as transgender and undergo irreversible procedures that she now regrets.

“I’ve been holding this card close to my chest for a while, and I’m ready to show it,” said Zacchigna on Tuesday. “In November 2022, I commenced legal action against the Canadian health care providers that facilitated my medical transition in Ontario.”

At the age of 21 in 2009, Michelle Zacchigna's journey began after years of struggling with depression, anxiety, self-harm, and a suicide attempt.

Zacchigna then stumbled upon the concept of "gender identity" online and came to believe that her struggles were a result of being transgender. Unfortunately, healthcare providers failed to challenge this belief, allowing her to undergo hormone therapy and surgeries without adequately addressing her mental health needs.

In the spring of 2010, Michelle Zacchigna attended a support group for transgender individuals in Toronto called "Gender Journeys." It was there that she met a doctor who referred her for male hormone therapy after only one hour-long appointment.

Despite her history of serious mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, self-harm, and a suicide attempt, Zacchigna's regular therapist also recommended hormone therapy. After only three appointments with another doctor, Zacchigna was prescribed testosterone.

The speed at which Zacchigna was referred for hormone therapy has raised concerns about the lack of comprehensive mental health evaluations before beginning gender-affirming treatments. Experts in the field argue that it is crucial to provide gender-affirming care while also addressing the mental health needs of individuals.

Zacchigna underwent a bilateral mastectomy in 2012 after receiving a recommendation from her doctors. The surgery was performed by a surgeon in Florida who removed her breasts. In 2017, another doctor referred her for a hysterectomy, which she underwent.

However, by 2019, Zacchigna had come to the realization that her struggles could be explained more accurately by her mental health diagnoses and developmental disabilities than by her gender identity. She made the decision to detransition and now deeply regrets the irreversible procedures that she underwent.

“I will live the rest of my life without breasts, with a deepened voice and male-pattern balding, and without the ability to get pregnant. Removing my completely healthy uterus is my greatest regret,” Zacchigna wrote in a blog post for Lighthouse Forum.