WATCH: 13-Year Old Transgender Boy Makes Heartbreaking Reveal To His Classmates

While we can only try to imagine the difficulty facing a child growing up transgender, few people have the strength shown by one 13-year old boy. Tom Sosnik posted a video to YouTube, where he revealed his true identity to classmates that he was transitioning. Explaining his true identity, Tom said he wanted to honour his strength to Leelah Alcorn – a 17-year old transgender girl who took her own life in December 2014 after her family refused to acknowledge her as a female when she transitioned. Tom told his friends and classmates: "All of sixth grade, I struggled with my gender identity and I am now embracing my truth. For a while, I dismissed the fact that I hated my body. I pretended to be content with what I was assigned until, at a certain point, I broke." Tom acknowledges that while some classmates might take some time getting used to him as a separate identity to Mia, he just hopes they’ll treat him with respect. He also has a message for anyone facing their own battles: "To all those struggling to embrace their true and authentic gender or sexuality, I want you to know that if no one else accepts you, I always will." For being just 13-years old, Tom proves he’s a strong young man. Try hold back the tears when you see his classmates’ reactions.