Remembering Trans Man Dr. Maxwell Scott Anderson

Tristan (left), Maxwell (center) & Franky (right) *(Photo Credit: Clarice Gauf)

On January 14th, 2010, Dr. Maxwell Scott Anderson was transported to a higher place after being diagnosed with a brain tumor in late December.

“Dr Maxwell Scott Anderson August 26, 1956 – January 14, 2010 On January 14th, 2010 at 3:10pm, Dr. Maxwell Scott Anderson was called home to God’s glory in a peaceful rest. He was a native of Chicago, Illinois; moving to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and then to Atlanta, Georgia where he called home for 20 plus years.”

Maxwell was surrounded by much love when he passed and his life has left a print on this world that will never be forgotten. He was a man with a heart of gold and touched the lives of many. His spirit will forever live on.

Maxwell was a well known therapist in Atlanta. One of my best friends, Franky, went to Maxwell and they became as close as brothers in a short amount of time. Franky spoke very highly of Maxwell and this is how my wife and I were first introduced.

The first time I saw Maxwell was upon viewing the 2001 Sundance film festival winner “Southern Comfort”. In the documentary, I was able to soak in a glimpse of Maxwell as I watched him live his life by the side of his best friend, the late Robert Eads. Robert was also a trans man who died of Ovarian cancer due to doctors refusing treatment. The film covered the last year of his life.

My wife and I got the honor to meet Maxwell face-to-face at the Southern Comfort Conference in 2009. He was working on a new documentary that will still be made in his honor.

Maxwell was a person you quickly came to love and see as family. My wife and I helped with a benefit show to support the documentary and the next thing we knew, he was at our home for a cookout. That was the last time we saw Maxwell before we found out the news. He was supposed to be at my wife’s birthday party and we found out days later he did not show up due to the fact that he collapsed in his home and wasn’t found until days later.

When we visited him at the hospice, he was asleep and we told him how much we love him and gave him lots of hugs and kisses. Two people that remained by his side the most were his sister Susie who flew down here to be with him from Chicago and my best friend Franky.

This past weekend, I was at Maxwell’s apartment and watched Susie going through items and Franky and Cass help transport belongings.

Dr. Maxwell Scott Anderson (Photo Credit: PJ Pilgrim of Appleblossom Photography)

The most important part of all of this is that Maxwell needs your help.

His life insurance was given to someone who only is contributing to pay for Maxwell’s cremation and nothing else. A HORRIBLE truth. There is much more to this story, but I believe God will deal with this person and it’s not up to us.

Pastor Paul of Gentle Spirit church in Atlanta is a wonderful man and is holding the memorial service at his place of worship.

As you can imagine, there is a great need here to help cover costs that accumulated and his death.

I’m asking for people to PLEASE help and know that even $1 will help out. The funds are going to a safe account that belongs to his sister. She is a great person and said after the costs have been covered ALL remaining funds will go to help fund the documentary Maxwell was making so it can be completed.

They also have some of his items for sale trying to raise money. Click HERE to donate!

HOW to”CHIPIN”: First click on the link below and it will take you to the ChipIn page. You will see a “widget” on the right-hand side, click the button that says “ChipIn!” – This will now direct you to the Paypal page. At the top, insert the amount you want to donate in the box that says “unit price” THEN click on the button “update totals” — NOW you are ready to either log in to your paypal account OR you can follow the steps below and enter in your account info on the safe server. After you complete your transaction, you will be notified via email and receive a confirmation. THANK YOU FOR YOUR DONATIONS!

Some Posts on Maxwell’s FaceBook page:

“Rest in peace, Max. A special “thank you” to his close friends for keeping us all in the know. It was an honor to have seen his life from the outside while knowing I would always be in his heart as he is in mine… and to know the size of his heart from thousands of miles away. You will be missed, my brother.”

“RIP max..you have no idea the impact you have made on the trans community… the doc. made such an imact on me and 1,000s of others. Almost made it to SCC this year, i sorry i didnt so i could meet you. The trans community is truly in mourning. RIP say hey to robert for me”

“This is the Maxwell I want you to remember. This is the speech from the Trans Rights rally and march in Atlana last June, on the 40th Anniversary ofthe Stonewall Rebellion. When ATL postponed Pride, we did not. Maxwell helped to organize it. The speech moved me. His memory, and hisactivism, are survived in us. Plenty of fight to carry onward.”

“Goodbye max although we never met you were a great man. its saddens me to have never met you but in my heart you are begining your journey with God. you will shine ever so bright being the angel that you are. you will be dearly missed by so many people i wish the most love and cheerfulness to all in this sad time. lots of love from me to you all.”

“comfort and peace for the people who loved him. he set a wonderful example.. we will see him again though. he had such a sweet heart.”

“God speed Maxwell, I hope you find an eternity of peace and joy. We will meet again. Thank you Susie for all that you have done to see him off. It can’t have been easy. Please accept my condolences for yourself and your family. You are now part of a larger family and I appreciate everything you have done these past few weeks.”

My Post:

“♥ My tweet last night for you, dearest big brother ♥ Today the world lost a very special man, Dr. Maxwell Scott Anderson, and heaven received him. Three things I know: he will never be forgotten, that he will always be very loved and in our hearts forever. Xoxoxo Max, your spirit will forever live on. I know you are watching over us now from heaven. You and Robert.”

Some Posts on Maxwell’s passport on TQ Nation:

“Dr. Max. you are an awesome guy. You have helped so many who were lost confused and hurting, i’m one of them. didnt talk for long just one email but you helped me through your encouragement and wise words. We all love you Dr. Max.”

“Thank you for all you did in your life. You will continue to be an inspiration to me and for that I am forever grateful. Rest in peace.”

Remembrance Video by Monica Helms:

Written by: Tristan Skye of TQ Nation

Dr. Maxwell Scott Anderson Speaks Out!

A very BIG “Thank You” to Monica Helms for capturing this footage of Dr. Maxwell Scott Anderson on December 23, 2009.

Monica Helms states:
“I visited Max today (12/23/09) to tell him he has many, many friends who love him and are praying for his recovery. He didnt look well and he had a difficulty speaking at times. I had to edit this video because of long gaps. He made me cry. Pastor Paul Turner also showed up and prayed for him. I will go and see him again next week. If you pray, then pray for him, his family and close friends.”

Remember to visit Maxwell’s blog that is regularly updated: http://drmaxwellanderson.com/blog/

Tristan Skye (left), Maxwell Anderson (middle) and Franky C. (right)

Prayers, Love & Support Needed for Trans Brother!

The following is a blog entry about the recent news of one of our Trans brothers, Dr. Maxwell Scott Anderson. He is an amazing man and highly respected and loved by our community. Please send out your prayers, positive thoughts, love and support!

http://drmaxwellanderson.com/blog/

Update, Tuesday Evening 12/22/09
Posted in Uncategorized by Stormie on the December 22nd, 2009

On the evening of Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2009, Maxwell collapsed at home. He was unable to call for help and spent the next several days alone in his apartment… unable to care for himself. Friends tried to contact him to no avail. On Monday, one of his friends called me at work and asked if I had spoken to him. I had not spoken with him in several days and was concerned and thus, I investigated and found that he had not posted on Facebook and his phone was ringing directly to voice mail. By the time I reached the conclusion that there may be something wrong, it was late and the apartment office was closed (I had no key).

The next morning, Carter and I went to Maxwell’s apartment to try to see if he was ok. His car was parked in front of the apartment. We knocked on the door several times, but he did not answer. Fortunately, I was listed as his emergency contact person and therefore, the apartment manager was willing to have a maintenance person go and check on him. He was able to make it to the door after several minutes. He was weak and disoriented. We called the paramedics and he was taken to Wellstar Kennestone Hospital.

I had to work today, but Carter was able to spend the day at the hospital and she was able to talk to several doctors first hand. Maxwell had a CT-Scan and an MRI that revealed that he has an aggressive brain tumor called a ‘glioma‘. Based on the information we have most recently been given, it is inoperable and terminal. Tumors of this nature double in size every 90 days, causing increasing disability and eventually, death. Additional tests are being run which may change some details.

Maxwell knows about the tumor, but his cognitive abilities vary from moment to moment and he may not be able to fully comprehend all that is going on. He is afraid and needs support now more than ever. We would like for him to be surrounded by friends and family… his chosen family… in this, the most difficult time of his life.

We will continue to update the blog as we have new information. As of today, Maxwell is in Neuro-ICU at Kennestone Hospital on Church St. in Marietta. His room is in Green Tower… G-365. He can have 2 visitors at a time. However, no visitors are allowed during shift change (6:30-8:30am AND 6:30-8:30pm). Our feeling is that being surrounded by loved ones will help him more than anything else at this point.

We are also in need of legal assistance for Maxwell in regards to his employment. If you or anyone you know is familiar with labor law and can offer pro bono legal services, please let me know.

Also, Maxwell’s beloved cat, Blue, will eventually need to be placed. She is a ’special needs’ cat who will need a very special home with a lot of love and attention (and probably no other animals or children). Right now, we are hoping that he will be able to go home at least temporarily so this is not necessarily an immediate need, but we do want to find the right home for her when the need arises.

Last but far from least, please keep Maxwell in your thoughts or prayers or whatever form of spirituality that is meaningful to you. Please envision him healed and surrounded by love.

This blog will be updated as we have new information.

Thank you for your support.

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*Video of Maxwell*
10 years after the death of Robert Eads and the release of the documentary “Southern Comfort”, Dr. Maxwell Scott Anderson introduces a new film in pre-production, “Southern Comforted: Lives Touched by the Documentary”.