I mean, when I started working here, Peggy just moved from Rutrecht.

Dr. Anilou-DeFries was one of the first people to join Peggy's new team at the Amsterdam Clinic.

At the time, Peggy was still developing her set of rules for providing this new medical intervention

to young people, what came to be known as the Dutch Protocol.

Puberty blockers, when puberty started,

usually around 12, hormones as early as 16,

and surgeries in adulthood.

And critically, the mental health assessments

that were designed to help figure out which kids should get medical intervention.

That assessment was several sessions over a longer period of time and actually really get to know the family, get to know the kids.

And how long typically would you say you spoke with them?

So it takes at least half a year.

But what we say, we take the time we need.

So you cannot pinpoint me on how much time we have.

Some kids might need more than that.

Yeah.

And over time, as a growing number of kids were being referred to the clinic...

It was obviously a radical new idea, a new option.

What were sort of your concerns and questions you wanted to answer?

Well, yeah, of course we needed proof of the effectiveness of the treatment.

Anilu started to study the kids they were treating.

What research had been published by 2003 when you started working with the group?

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