Camille Kiefel, 36, had her breasts removed. She later found out that did not help her.
By Catholics for Catholics
A woman who had surgeons remove her breasts after identifying as “nonbinary” reached a confidential $3.5 million settlement after she sued her mental health providers.
Two Oregon therapists allegedly inappropriately approved Camille Kiefel, 36, for the surgery after brief telemedicine sessions, despite her history of mental health diagnoses that included trauma, depression, suicidal ideation and ADHD. She filed for malpractice against the two, according to a story by Newsmax.
In the lawsuit, Kiefel contended that the therapists approved the procedure in 2020 after Zoom sessions lasting less than an hour each, according to reporting by independent journalist Benjamin Ryan.
The lawsuit had been scheduled for what could have been a landmark jury trial before the parties reached a confidential settlement earlier this year.
In the lawsuit, Kiefel contended the providers did not properly assess her vast mental health history — including trauma, depression, ADHD, anxiety, and suicidal ideation — before recommending the surgery, the New York Post reported.
“I didn’t want what happened to me to happen to other vulnerable girls and women,” Kiefel told Fox News Digital. “I wasn’t given true informed consent.”
Still, Kiefel had the double mastectomy in August 2020 after receiving referral letters from licensed clinical social worker Amy Ruff and licensed professional counselor Mara Burmeister.
However, less than two years later, however, Kiefel said she detransitioned after deciding the surgery had not put an end to her emotional distress.
In a 2023 Newsweek essay, Kiefel spoke about how childhood trauma and long-running mental health struggles contributed to her identification as nonbinary.
Kiefel shared that after learning in sixth grade that her best friend had been raped, she began dressing more masculine and attempting to hide her body.
“I realized that believing I was nonbinary was a coping mechanism for me,” Kiefel wrote.
“It’s incredibly important that these lawsuits are brought forward,” she told Fox News Digital. “For a lot of this, it’s going to be the lawsuits that actually create change.”
Save and Share This Catholic Patriotic Minute!
