PERSON: Ryland Whittington

Ryland Whittington, who is now 6 years old, was assigned female at birth. Around the child’s first birthday, it was discovered that Ryland was deaf. They weren’t discouraged, however, and immediately began looking into cochlear implants. Ryland soon learned how to hear and speak. One of the child’s first sentences? “I am a boy.”

At first, the Whittingtons thought that Ryland’s predilections were just a tomboy phase. “The trouble was,” the video’s caption reads, “phases end.” Ryland began to ask why God had made him that way, and declared that he was brother, not sister, to younger sibling Brynly.

[Https://www.bustle.com/articles/26899-meet-ryland-whittington-our-young-transgender-hero]

CNN Films presents “Raising Ryland,” an intimate look at parenting with no strings attached. This short film focuses on the transgender experience as lived by a 6-year-old and his two loving parents. This first-hand account showcases the power of love amid unexpected change. Directed by Sarah Feeley

[Https://www.CNN.com/videos/us/2015/03/17/digital-shorts-parenting-transgender-child-orig.CNN]