In a heartwarming moment of love and acceptance, a family in Ontario, Canada, celebrated a special gender reveal party for their eight-year-old daughter, Ella Scott. This joyous occasion came to be after Ella, who had been living as a boy, confided in her parents two years ago that she didn’t feel like a boy.
Ella’s parents, Nikki and Graham Scott, initially believed that their child might just be going through a phase. Nikki, 38, and Graham, 39, observed early on that Ella was different from her brothers, as she showed a preference for playing with girls and enjoying Frozen toys. Nikki reflected, “With Ella, it was like she always knew who she was, but we just didn’t understand.”
Things took a clear turn when Ella turned six and expressed a strong desire to wear skirts and dresses. Despite their initial reservations, Nikki and Graham allowed Ella to choose her Halloween costume that year. Ella chose a skirt and cat ears, a decision that prompted her parents to educate themselves on transgender issues. Soon after, Ella articulated, “I’m not a boy, I don’t feel like this inside.”
Navigating this new journey, Nikki and Graham sought assistance from a psychologist at their local child mental health center, Reach Out Centre for Kids. This professional input was invaluable in helping them support Ella. Nikki shared, “We were questioning if she was too young and whether we were making the right choices. We wanted to be sure our actions wouldn’t hurt her.”
Guided by professional advice, the family made the decision to let Ella navigate her path. By the first grade, Ella began using she/her pronouns, grew her hair out, and embraced wearing girls’ clothes. Even though Ella felt impatient waiting for her hair to grow longer, she remained happy and optimistic.
To commemorate Ella’s journey and introduce her true self to their extended family, Nikki, Graham, and Ella’s younger brothers, Teddy and Regan, organized a gender reveal party. The event was met with overwhelming love and support from their relatives. In a bid to protect her privacy, her parents chose not to reveal her former name. Nikki expressed, “Our family’s support was wonderful. It’s her family, her home, and it’s the safest place for her.”
Although Ella’s family fully embraced her, she encountered hurdles at her initial school, where some classmates questioned her gender identity. This led Nikki and Graham to transfer Ella and her siblings to a different school, where she found a welcoming environment and made great friends. Nikki has since created an Instagram page chronicling Ella’s transition to offer support to other parents of transgender children. She shared, “I want parents to know they have a safe community because at the start, we didn’t have anyone. My page aims to raise awareness about transgender kids and to create a supportive space for parents.”
