INSIDE EDITION met with a husband and father of six who went in for an ultrasound and discovered he was really a woman. Even more amazing is his wife is sticking with him while he makes the transition.
INSIDE EDITION followed Debbie Crecelius on an unusual shopping trip to buy a new dress. The wife was actually helping her husband, yes, her husband, shop for his very first dress—a process that proved emotionally overwhelming.
Steve Crecelius is transforming from a man into a woman and as unbelievable as it may seem, his wife, Debbie, is sticking with him.
Steve told INSIDE EDITION, “She's my coach, my hero, my best friend. She's everything to me.”
Steve and Debbie were married 25 years ago. It was the second marriage for both. Between them they have six children. Debbie says they enjoyed a healthy sex life.
“I loved Steve right away,” she said.
Once a rugged cop, Steve switched careers and became one of Denver’s most sought after photographers. His portfolio is a who's who of A-List celebrities like Jessica Simpson, Bill Cosby and Harrison Ford.
But Steve was hiding a deep, dark secret. Since his childhood, he always felt more woman than man, but suppressed his feelings.
Steve said, “The risk was I would lose everything, my friends, my family, my livelihood, everything was at risk.”
The turning point came when a painful kidney stone sent him to the E.R. and a nurse performing an ultrasound made a shocking discovery. Steve said the ultrasound showed he had hidden female genitalia.
“It actually said female on the screen,” Debbie said.
Debbie's world was instantly turned upside down.
“I didn't sign up for this. I had lost my husband,” she said.
Her husband Steve embraced the news and started hormone therapy. He now goes by the name Stevie.
“She loves me for me, and I love her for her,” said Stevie.
Debbie supported Stevie with unconditional love, even though it meant saying goodbye to her husband.
Debbie said, “Stevie is the same person I married, just not the same gender.”
But how would his children take the news? Stevie hoped his grown children would be tolerant as he revealed himself as a woman.
“I’ll always be dad,” said Stevie.
Even the grandchildren friended Stevie on Facebook as their grandmother.
One of Stevie's grandson's said, "Its my family, I don't care what other people think."
63-year-old Stevie continues to be one of Denver’s in-demand photographers. Though its an adjustment for clients like Mario Reid.
Reid said, “It was difficult, just like it was for everybody, to make the transition from ‘Yes sir’ to ‘Yes ma'am.’”
To help with Stevie’s transformation, Debbie gave Stevie some of her clothes.
“She's more of a girlie girl than I am,” said Debbie.
Debbie arranged for makeup lessons for Stevie and when Stevie went shopping for that very first dress, Debbie was right there.
But the woman inside has finally been revealed and Stevie couldn’t feel more liberated.
“I’m the happiest person in the world,” said Stevie.
