Lauren's surgery fund

Hey, I'm Lauren. I'm a 30 year old non-binary (trans masc) person living in SW London and I am trying to raise some funds to support top surgery so that I can finally affirm my identity and live comfortably in my own skin.

I was fortunate enough to join a women & nb football team @stonewallfc in the summer before lockdown and it was really the start of my public gender identity journey. It was the first time I ever used they/them pronouns and identified as non-binary. Sport has been a lifesaver throughout my entire journey of identity discovery, trialing names (and scrapping them), meeting other NB people at different stages of their journeys and just generally having this incredible group of people supporting me, no matter what! It was incredible and it really allowed me to feel comfortable with this notion of change. But, it was through therapy I truly realised how deep-rooted my desire to not identify with a female identity really was. From stealing my dad's boxers when I was 8, to making my best friend Kieran buy me my first ever pair in H&M in 2013 because I was too scared to do it myself. I am hoping that with your help, kindness and generosity, I may be able to access the care I need to live authentically as myself (isn't that what everyone wants at the end of the day?).

I have been on the NHS waiting list for over 2 years now, but decided to take my first steps privately. I have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria with the help of the lovely Dr Lorimer, and just this month (April 2024) I have been fortunate enough to access private healthcare to get confirmation that I will be starting testosterone with the help of Dr Quinton.

My next steps are now clearer than ever, and with your help I hope to access top surgery so that I can do life just that little bit easier. Throughout my life I have battled with my body, and now I can see the finish line. I just need your help getting there. Without your financial support I wouldn't be able to access essential services including the cost of the procedure itself and recovery.

Any help, no matter how small, would be incredible and I thank you all for reading my story (being vulnerable on the internet is hard, jeeeez!!)

Thanks a lot guys - I appreciate you.

Lauren x