Butterfly: A Story of Trans Advocacy and Healthcare—Now Streaming on Netflix
We’re thrilled to share that Butterfly, the ground-breaking drama inspired, in part, by the story of Anne Health's co-founder, Susie Green, is now streaming on Netflix. Originally aired on ITV in 2018, Butterfly stars Anna Friel as a mother who becomes a fierce advocate for her trans daughter, fighting for her right to gender-affirming care. It’s a deeply moving portrayal of the struggles faced by trans families, and the story is even more relevant today.
The Real-Life Inspiration Behind Butterfly
The drama is based, in part, on the true story of Susie Green’s journey, as she sought gender-affirming healthcare for her daughter. In the early 2000s, Susie had no choice but to take her daughter abroad to access puberty blockers, a vital treatment that wasn’t available in the UK at the time.
The show originally aired in 2018, when the wait time for an appointment with the NHS’s Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) had already stretched beyond five months. Fast forward to 2024, and the situation has deteriorated further. GIDS has since been shut down, and the waiting time for its replacement service is approaching five years. To make matters worse, the UK Government has nearly banned access to puberty blockers for trans youth.
The Founding of Anne Health
This stark contrast between the landscape of 2018 and today is one of the key reasons Anne Health was founded. Susie Green, alongside co-founder Lizzie Jordan, recognised the dire need for accessible, expert, gender-affirming healthcare services. While services like GIDS have subsequently been closed down, and the replacement services have become increasingly restricted, families like those portrayed in Butterfly continue to face immense challenges in accessing the care their children need. Anne Health stepped in to fill this critical gap, ensuring that trans people, both youth and adults, have somewhere to turn for the healthcare they deserve.
Lizzie Jordan and Susie Green - Anne Health Founders
Our Commitment to Accessible Gender-Affirming Care
Currently, Anne Health remains the only healthcare provider in the UK offering a legal route for new patients to access puberty blockers for trans youth in a timely manner. Although many families still have to travel outside the UK to get puberty blockers, we are committed to advocating for timely, accessible, and expert gender-affirming healthcare for all young people and adults, especially within the NHS.
We firmly believe that healthcare should not be a privilege, and we continue to fight for a world where our services are no longer necessary. Until that day comes, we are here to provide the support that trans people and their families so desperately need.
How Anne Health Can Support You
If you or a loved one is seeking gender-affirming healthcare, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. Anne Health is dedicated to providing compassionate, expert care to help you navigate your journey. Contact us at hello@anne.health, or call or webchat with us on our #AskAnne helpline to learn more about how we can support you.
Watch Butterfly on Netflix today here and see the story that inspired the creation of Anne Health—a story of resilience, advocacy, and the fight for trans rights in healthcare.