Charlie’s Top-surgery fund

Hi, I am Charlie Sharp, a 17 year old transgender man. This means that I was assigned female at birth but, since publicly coming out in February 2016 (age 14), I have been living as a man.  Throughout my childhood, I was lucky enough to have parents who let me express myself freely and I presented typically masculine as I always felt like I was a boy. I started feeling huge discomfort with the body that I was born in at around age 12, when puberty hit. Since then, I have felt extreme dysphoria with my chest and feel uncomfortable doing activities from simple daily tasks, such as showering, to things I used to enjoy most- swimming and playing sports. To overcome this, I am at a point in my life where I need to have top surgery in order to live most authentically. 

I have created this page as a last resort, I have to put my pride aside and ask for your support. 

I have been attending appointments with an NHS child gender clinic (Tavistock and Portman) in London since 2017, following a long wait from referral to first appointment. Although I have received a lot of support in the appointments, I am yet to start my physical transition. I suffer from gender dysphoria and current waiting lists on the NHS mean that it is unlikely I would receive top surgery until 2021.

I wear a binder everyday for around 12 hours, to help alleviate dysphoria. Binders are extremely uncomfortable and due to my dysphoria I cannot leave the house with out wearing one. I cannot bear to continue through two more summers where I am not able to take my shirt off, it is truly suffocating.

I have always planned to go travelling before starting a film based career. However, the longer I must wait for surgery; the longer I put my future on hold. This domino affect has been really damaging on my mental health.  

I am planning to work vigorously after my A-levels, but I do not think that I will be able to afford the full costs for referral, consultation and top surgery before the end of 2019- which is my goal. My family have been very supportive,  but unfortunately they are unable to support me financially.

I am yet to make a final decision of the surgeon I want in order to make the best choice I can. After emailing my top chosen surgeons, quotes estimate the surgery will cost between £5805.00 and £8,000 including referral, initial consultation, the surgery, post op care, 1-night stay, garments and medication when I leave hospital. 

Thank you so much for reading this and for the continued support from everybody:)
If you are not able to financially support me, sharing my page on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram would be massively appreciated.