Funding for surgery

I'm writing this in hope that you'll understand my turmoil. I am a 34 year old man wearing a pink lumpy leotard. I have worn it non-stop for 20 years. It's glued to me, I can't remove it to shower, or escape how it looks in the mirror. It doesn't matter what clothes I wear on top, people can see the lumps. Every time someone talks to me or about me, they bring up the damn leotard. She. Her. They don't see that I am a man. I have a male name, I am legally acknowledged as male. But people just see the leotard. It upsets me and embarrasses me every single day. Please help me surgically remove it!

WHO ARE YOU?
My name is Jay, and I am a writer living in Dublin, Ireland. I am asking for your help to afford a bilateral mastectomy. I was born with a female body, but I have always been a guy. I first told my Mother "I am a boy" when I was about 3 years old, whilst pulling up worms in the garden. I asked for my hair to be cut shorter. I detested wearing dresses and loved my cord dungarees because they had more pockets for my lego and rocks. Much to my horror, puberty kicked in around 12 years old. My friends were mostly boys, and as my body changed they started treating me differently, didn't want to hang out with me anymore, or (even worse) wanted to date me. I found myself feeling alone, very confused and at war with my body. I could no longer do many things that I loved, running, football... Every form of physical fun I loved as a child became impossible. I was filled with shame and paranoia because of the way my body moved. I talked about it with my family on and off throughout my teens and twenties. I was scared of the process of transitioning, and I never truly knew if people would accept me. After I turned 30, I knew I had to bite the bullet, fix the daily heartbreak and allow myself to be me.
COSTS:
I'm finding it incredibly difficult to raise the money on my own. The costs are not covered here by insurance or the health service in Ireland. After reaching out to various hospitals and clinics across Europe, I have found the most suitable surgeon is Andrew Yelland at Nuffield Hospital in Brighton, UK. He is a specialist in this type of surgery, and is close enough to return to if there are complications. The cost of the bilateral mastectomy/ chest reconstruction is £5925, approximately €8200.

Every little helps and I will sincerely appreciate any donation that you can make. If you can't afford to donate, you can still help by sharing this on Facebook or Twitter! I'm pooling the little money I have into making rewards and paying for postage for the rewards to be delivered.

I want you to know that if you choose to invest in me, that I am a good person. I am the friend who helps you move house, gives to charity every month, and arrives toolbox in hand when you need help with repairs. I am always available for a hug and an ear if you're feeling sad. I promise to always pay it forward. I have also created some incentives that I'm hoping will appeal to your inner child.


Beano money tins

My Matchbox collection (sold out)

Moustache frames

Notebooks

TRANSGENDER? 

Your gender identity and your sexual orientation are two different things. You are not who you are because of whom you are attracted to, and being transgender is not a choice. No one wakes up one day and decides to make life difficult. Studies have shown that male and female brains work differently. The structure of the brain of a trans-man is the same as a brain in a man whose body was assigned male at birth. It is still a very misunderstood condition (resulting in transphobia) and little funding is available to assist people in transitioning to their correct gender. It can be very isolating. The statistics for suicide attempts amongst the transgender community are an incredibly high 41%.

Art print 1

CAN'T YOU JUST HIDE IT? 

A lot of trans-men bind their chest. Typically, this involves a super tight garment to flatten and reshape the chest. From experience, I can tell you that it is painful and seriously restricts breathing. It also looks like I'm wearing a bullet proof vest. Binding can also lead to passing out, bruising, a build up of fluid on the lungs, and broken ribs. For my health, binding is no longer an option. I would like to start hormone treatment (testosterone). This will reshape me by redistributing where my body fat is stored, creating a more typical male appearance. It kicks off male puberty, usually making the face more angular, deepening the voice and increasing body hair. I have battled and won against depression. I kick ass at looking after my mental health - I make a massive effort everyday. But I know that I would find it incredibly difficult to cope with hairy chest lumps. I don't want to start taking hormones until I have had surgery.

Art print 2