{"id":198077,"date":"2026-03-10T10:24:14","date_gmt":"2026-03-10T10:24:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/198077\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T10:24:14","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T10:24:14","slug":"in-el-paso-sb-14-hindered-care-for-kids-who-arent-transgender","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/198077\/","title":{"rendered":"In El Paso, SB 14 hindered care for kids who aren\u2019t transgender"},"content":{"rendered":"

Audio recording is automated for accessibility. Humans wrote and edited the story. See our AI policy<\/a>, and give us feedback<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Gabrielle Jones-Radtke has lived in El Paso for nearly her entire life. She loves El Paso \u2014 its community, its culture, its recent growth \u2014 but her favorite factor is its predictability. <\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re young, you know, maybe that\u2019s not the best thing,\u201d Jones-Radtke said. \u201cBut once you get older and have a family, predictability is everything.\u201d <\/p>\n

But a series of unpredictable circumstances is forcing her to move her family about 25 miles away to New Mexico. Her seven-year-old daughter, Freyja, has Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS) and requires puberty blockers to treat a complication associated with the syndrome. Her endocrinologist, Dr. Hector Granados, stopped providing puberty blockers, after Attorney General Ken Paxton<\/a> accused him<\/a> of providing transgender care to minors, allegations that were later dismissed<\/a>. Because his practice is the only pediatric endocrinology office in El Paso and it\u2019s hard to obtain an appointment, the Jones-Radtke family is planning to move across state lines with hopes of easier access to this treatment and more care options.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love Texas but right now, it doesn\u2019t feel like they love us back,\u201d Jones-Radtke said. <\/p>\n

Senate Bill 14<\/a>, passed in June 2023, prohibits doctors from providing gender-transitioning medical care \u2014 such as hormone therapy and surgeries \u2014 to individuals under 18. The bill allows hormone therapy for those who need treatment for reasons other than for transgender care, such as premature puberty. But Jones-Radtke says her child is being harmed anyway, faced with the confluence of the state\u2019s health care shortage and legislation that has chilled doctors from providing care. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhen policies create confusion or discourage physicians from providing medically necessary hormone therapy, families ultimately bear the consequences,\u201d said state Sen. C\u00e9sar Blanco<\/a>, a Democrat who represents El Paso. \u201cIn Texas, where we already face a physician shortage, any additional uncertainty in the medical community causes a chilling effect, making access to care more difficult.\u201d<\/p>\n

Supporters of SB 14 say the bill is necessary to protect children from the risks of transgender treatment. Doctors who deny hormone therapy for those who need it for medically diagnosed endocrine or genetic disorders are misunderstanding the law.<\/p>\n

\"Seven-year-oldFreyja pretends to play the violin with a guitar at the family\u2019s home in El Paso. She requires puberty blockers to treat a complication associated with Bardet-Biedl syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that affects a wide range of bodily functions. Paul Ratje for The Texas Tribune<\/p>\n

\u201cIf there\u2019s confusion, that\u2019s a matter of medical compliance interpretation by the doctor,\u201d Jonathan Covey, director of policy at Texas Values, said. Sen. Donna Campbell<\/a>, the New Braunfels Republican and physician who authored the bill, did not respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n

Although used in transgender treatment, hormone treatment is more typically administered to treat conditions such as premature puberty, endometriosis, hypogonadism and growth hormone deficiencies in minors. <\/p>\n

BBS is a rare genetic disorder that affects a wide range<\/a> of bodily functions. It can cause autism spectrum disorder, weight gain, hormone imbalances and vision loss. Across North America and Europe, BBS has a prevalence of about one in 140,000 to 160,000 newborns<\/a>. <\/p>\n

When Freyja was around one-year-old, the first complication with BBS Jones-Radtke noticed was her weight gain.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe just could not stop gaining weight and she just never was not hungry,\u201d Jones-Radtke said. \u201cI was like, \u2018what is going on with my kid?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Jones-Radtke said she started seeing Granados about a year ago when Freyja, six-years-old at the time, had started showing symptoms of premature puberty, including growing breast tissue and leg hair and developing body odor. <\/p>\n

Because Granados was the only pediatric endocrinology practice in the city, it was always difficult to get an appointment. When she did, however, she always found him to be kind, patient and clear with his diagnosis and treatment, even with his heavy patient load. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s basically the only [pediatric] endocrinologist we have from here to Dallas,\u201d Jones-Radtke said. \u201cI don\u2019t know how this man is doing this and not mentally breaking down but he somehow is.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jones-Radtke said she hadn\u2019t learned about Paxton\u2019s lawsuit \u2014 and that she wouldn\u2019t be able to get her daughter\u2019s puberty blockers \u2014 until another parent informed her. <\/p>\n

Jones-Radtke was eating at McDonald\u2019s with her husband two months ago when another parent from Granados\u2019 office approached and informed Jones-Radtke that she was moving to New Mexico because Granados couldn\u2019t prescribe her daughter\u2019s puberty blockers. Jones-Radtke then called the office, told them what she learned, and found out about the \u201cweird gray area\u201d that her family was in.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you have a child with special needs, gray areas are not your friend, because your entire life is a gray area,\u201d Jones-Radtke said. \u201cHaving something I can rely on is extremely paramount to her care, and if her doctors are too scared to do their job, what the heck am I supposed to do?\u201d<\/p>\n

\"GabrielleJones-Radtke is struggling to get access to hormone therapy medication for her daughter, Freyja, who suffers from Bardet-Biedl Syndrome. Paul Ratje for The Texas Tribune<\/p>\n

\"GabrielleJones-Radtke shows the syringes and vials of Imcivree she injects into her daughter Freyja to help control her appetite. Paul Ratje for The Texas Tribune<\/p>\n

Paxton sued Granados<\/a> in October 2024, accusing him of providing gender-affirming care to children.<\/p>\n

Paxton placed Granados under an injunction<\/a> in February 2025, preventing him from prescribing \u201cpuberty blockers and testosterone or estrogen\u201d for the purposes of transitioning a minor\u2019s biological sex or affirming their gender identity. He also said Granados couldn\u2019t write prescriptions or bill anyone \u201cunder false diagnoses, such as precocious puberty,\u201d effectively cutting off his patients\u2019 access to puberty blockers. <\/p>\n

Karen Lowey, attorney with Lambda Legal, a nonprofit legal organization specializing in LGBTQIA+ civil rights cases, said Paxton\u2019s lawsuits are scaring some doctors into overcomplying with SB 14 and forcing them to stop certain treatments, even for patients who aren\u2019t seeking to change their genders. <\/p>\n

In addition to Granados, Paxton has sued three other doctors, all in the Dallas area, and Children\u2019s Health System of Texas, headquartered in Dallas, accusing them of violating SB 14; one of the doctors, May Lau<\/a>, has opted to move out of state<\/a> to practice in Oregon. Paxton also recently stated<\/a> in a legal opinion that SB 14 applies to mental health providers, meaning professionals such as therapists can\u2019t offer gender-transitioning treatment or facilitate it. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a hard time for doctors in this country right now, where the actual medical science and research are being thrown by the wayside and the care that they provide is being so politicized,\u201d Lowey said. Paxton\u2019s office did not respond to a request for comment for this story.<\/p>\n

Even though Paxton dropped the lawsuit in September after his office didn\u2019t find evidence of wrongdoing, it\u2019s not clear if Granados has resumed prescribing puberty blockers. Radtke-Jones stopped seeing Granados months ago because of the long waits for appointments. <\/p>\n

Granados, through his attorney Mark Bracken, declined to comment on Jones-Radtke\u2019s case. Bracken, however, sympathizes on a personal level with the family\u2019s journey because he is a type one diabetic and so is his daughter, who is also one of Granados\u2019 patients. He, too, bemoans the long wait times at endocrinology offices, citing the shortage of specialists. <\/p>\n

\u201cI think the passage, as well as the enforcement of (SB 14), is likely making it harder to attract pediatric endocrinologists to the region,\u201d Bracken said. \u201cWe\u2019ve made a lot of headway and improvement\u2026 attracting more specialists and more doctors. But there\u2019s a long way to go.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"GabrielleGabrielle Jones-Radtke shows photos of her daughter Freyja taken a year apart. Paul Ratje for The Texas Tribune<\/p>\n

The lack of pediatric endocrinologists in El Paso also affects Freyja\u2019s access to another medication \u2014 Imicivree<\/a> \u2014 daily injections to help control her appetite. Jones-Radtke said Imcivree prescriptions now require an endocrinologist\u2019s signature, instead of the signature of any doctor. But because of the pediatric endocrinologist shortage in El Paso, it\u2019s difficult to book an appointment with Granados to get the signature, resulting in more time that Freyja has gone without the essential medication. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe can\u2019t get the care she needs, because all the endocrinologists are scared to do their jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n

If Freyja doesn\u2019t get her Imcivree in a timely manner, the consequences can be grim. BBS can cause issues with the kidney, which controls ammonia buildup in the body. Without Imcivree, she is at risk of overeating, which can cause ammonia to spike and become \u201cincredibly deadly,\u201d according to Jones-Radtke. <\/p>\n

\u201cThat has happened to her four times,\u201d Jones-Radtke said. \u201cI didn\u2019t know which way she was going to fall, if I was going to take her home or not.\u201d<\/p>\n

With all the other life-threatening challenges her daughter faces, she doesn\u2019t want a medical issue as treatable as premature puberty to complicate their lives further. <\/p>\n

Without puberty blockers, Jones-Radtke fears Freyja will start menstruating too early and face psychological challenges of looking more mature than her peers. For now, she has to contend with Freyja\u2019s worsening mood swings. <\/p>\n

\"Seven-year-oldFreyja plays with her dad Sean Radtke and her sister, Morrigan, at their home. The Jones-Radtke family is planning to move across state lines with hopes of easier access to treatment and more care options for their daughter Freyja. Paul Ratje for The Texas Tribune<\/p>\n

\"Seven-year-oldFreyja plays with her family at their El Paso home. Paul Ratje for The Texas Tribune<\/p>\n

\u201cLittle things set her off. She wasn\u2019t like that at five-years-old,\u201d Jones-Radtke said.<\/p>\n

As Jones-Radtke follows in the footsteps of other families fed-up with the lack of access to pediatric endocrinology care in El Paso, the choice to move to New Mexico was \u201cpretty simple.\u201d But that doesn\u2019t change how difficult the move will be for the family, both financially and emotionally.<\/p>\n

The move is going to cost the family at least $5,000, taking into account typical moving expenses, as well as additional costs to safely transport Freyja\u2019s medical equipment. But those costs pale in comparison to the memories they\u2019ll be leaving behind in El Paso. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe sense of community here is so strong,\u201d Jones-Radtke said. \u201cJust being able to go down the street, to the construction workers playing the loud Mexican music I grew up with, being able to walk down to the park with my kids\u2026 I\u2019m gonna miss it dearly.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Audio recording is automated for accessibility. Humans wrote and edited the story. See our AI policy, and give…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":198078,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[1967,27,29,28,9458,6748],"class_list":{"0":"post-198077","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-texas","8":"tag-ken-paxton","9":"tag-texas","10":"tag-texas-headlines","11":"tag-texas-news","12":"tag-transgender","13":"tag-well-b-homepage"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/198077","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=198077"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/198077\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/198078"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=198077"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=198077"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=198077"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}