The Analyst at Work Boys only! No Mothers Allowed

Georgie was adopted from an Asian country at 8 months of age by two gay men, Herb (the legal parent) and Tony. There are few details of his prenatal and birth history although it is known that he had low Apgar scores. It is also known that he was born in the same hospital that became his home for his first eight months of life. Georgie was left flat on his back in a crib with minimal stimulation for this whole period of his life. I viewed videos taken at three months, six months and eight months. It was striking and quite disturbing to watch him deteriorate over the course of his first eight months. In the first video he looked to be a newborn, at six months he seemed about 2 months old, and at eight months he looked disturbed, almost psychotic, not unlike the infants that René Spitz first introduced us to in his landmark film on hospitalized infants. In this last video, and when Herb traveled across the world to retrieve him, Georgie lay on his back with a blank wide-eyed stare with his palms up extended out in front. Herb was distraught upon meeting his new son and felt that if he did not go through with the adoption Georgie would surely die. Herb described this time as extremely stressful, as diapers were not used and Georgie was often covered in his own excrement. Herb noticed almost immediately that Georgie did not seem to respond to sound. It was determined that Georgie had complete hearing loss. Once in the United States, tests determined that there was no physiological damage. His deafness was caused by undiagnosed ear infections and understimulation. Within a few months his hearing was restored to normal.

Georgie responded to physical affection and developed an engaging smile. His gross motor development played a quick catch-up and he was walking by 13 months. Language development was delayed. His fathers quickly put several supports into place. He had occupational and speech therapy, had tubes placed in his ears, underwent multiple surgeries for a left stra